The Human Factor
by feytwilight
Summary: "Maybe I'm making a mistake J. I don't think I can bring these people together. Bruce is a self-loathing shut-in, who does not see how awesome he is. Barton is totally unstable. Widow scares the life out of me. Captain America is a self-righteous dick, who thinks Howard's a god. Thor, an actual god, lives on another fucking planet. And me? I'm the most fucked up of them all."
1. Chapter 1

The Battle for New York had ended, Shawarma had been eaten, Bruce had been clothed, and all was right with the world…for about five minutes. Then Fury decided to call them back for a debriefing on the limping Helicarrier. The Avengers wanted to say no; surely they'd earned a respite. But needs must, and they needed SHEILD on their side, and somewhere to incarcerate Loki. They had left him outside the Shawarma King by a parking meter with Thor's hammer placed on his chest. Loki glared at them helplessly while they ate. Was it childish…maybe, hilarious…most definitely, and it was effective. A Quinjet came to pick them up from the shop. Tony had decided to fly on his own in the suit; he needed to have a private conversation with Pepper anyways. Thor, who would also rather fly than ride, stayed in the jet instead in order to keep an eye on his homicidal brother. Hawkeye sat next to Thor and kept his arrow drawn to his cheek as he sighted unerringly at the trickster god, waiting and hoping for him to make any kind of move to escape. Loki for his part didn't even twitch. Though his eyes still somehow danced with infuriating amusement. Captain America kept a hand on Clint's other arm, willing him not to commit cold-blooded murder. Dr. Banner slumped in a corner his eyes barely open, exhausted from the multiple transformations he'd undergone during the day. Natasha rode with the nervous pilot up front as they headed toward the Helicarrier buried in the clouds. The tension mounted in the close space, and suddenly broke as Loki looked to his brother. "You surround yourself with peculiar mortals, Thor. Perhaps you would not be so easy amongst them if you knew some of what I know of them." Loki said with a sidelong glance towards the Black Widow, who ignored him, and Hawkeye, who to his credit did not flinch.

"I suggest you still your tongue brother, you have sorely harmed these warriors and their world, if they should wish to seek retribution upon you, I would be sorely pressed to intervene, especially if you would seek to provoke them." Thor said solemnly.

"Please, provoke me." Hawkeye stated with a cold smile, the arrow pointed at Loki's skull almost quivering in eagerness. Steve squeezed Clint's arm warningly as Loki looked aside, for a moment uncomfortable. He was intimately aware how serious the sharpshooter was being. The rest of the short trip passed in awkward silence.

Tony Stark's repulsors cut out as he landed heavily on the deck of the Helicarrier, just after ending his conversation with Pepper. She had apologized for not picking up his call; then had yelled at him for almost dying. He had also told her about Coulson's death. He hated her being in tears. She had landed in Japan after watching all the harrowing events on TV, and he couldn't even hug her, he couldn't fix it… He arrived before the Quinjet did, which turned out to be a good thing. He collapsed to both knees when he landed and breathed painfully for a full minute before pulling himself to his feet. The aches from his near death experience, probable cracked ribs and multiple contusions, bruises and total exhaustion were getting to him. He'd been able to hold out and hide it during the meal he'd insisted they have, but now it was getting to be too much. If he hadn't been in the suit he would have collapsed by now. He gasped uncomfortably as he straightened. "Sir? Your vitals are-" A British voice began.

"I know JARVIS." Tony interrupted, trying to allay his AI's concern. "Don't worry, after Fury's done showering us in flowery over-the-top praises and telling us how crazy awesome we are, I'm going to hit the bed hard, for like a year or twenty, at the very least."

"I should hope so, Sir." JARVIS responded unhappily. Tony groaned but managed to walk towards the conference room, ignoring the SHEILD agents who hailed him. When he reached the room he spotted Fury with his hands clasped behind his back staring out of the cracked bay windows towards the city, still smoking in the distance. Tony grabbed the nearest seat and sprawled ungainly in it in the Iron Man suit. He was vaguely surprised the chair held him, though it did creak alarmingly. Fury must have heard him enter, but he continued to ignore him, saying nothing. Tony carefully pried his helmet off; the faceplate had been hastily repaired prior to their final encounter with Loki in the penthouse, and was not coming off again. Basically this suit was a hunk of scrap. He was already planning the schematics for the next one. After this battle, he had gotten more than enough input for some much needed upgrades. Tony looked around the empty room and after finding nothing to catch his interest, once more returned his attention to Fury. Never one to endure silence well Tony shattered it abruptly.

"What does a superhero have to do to get a drink around here?" Tony asked with a quick smile. Fury turned around slowly and glared at him out of his one eye, which, Tony was certain had like fifty times the power of a normal two-eyed glare.

"Hero?" Fury asked, his voice dangerously soft. Tony quickly hid his flinch at the tone and question; he checked Fury's face before replying with his usual flippancy.

"Yeah, you know one of the people that saved New York, flew a nuke into space, killed a fucking fleet of homicidal E.T.'s. Pretty sure that counts as heroic and super." Tony folded his arms against his chest, covering his arc reactor's light, the dented metal scraped loudly, and sounded like a rough scream. Fury snorted a short dry laugh.

"More like grand standing and self preservation, than supposed "super" heroism." Nick Fury said while looming over the metal table with both hands. Tony's mouth opened and closed at the open hostility in Fury's face and the seriousness of his words. Tony refused to believe that the man before him, a man he respected, would treat him like this after he had risked his life to stop an alien invasion and a WMD. He swiftly retreated once more into his mask of snarkness.

"What?" Stark asked while lifting a metal hand to cup his ear. "I must have misheard you, because it sure as hell sounds like you're speaking out of your ass." Fury moved closer to Stark, getting within his personal space as he continued driving his words home.

"You heard me Stark. You could have disarmed that nuke midflight. Or if you had managed to buckle down and focus on closing the portal in the first place that situation would have never occurred. The motherfucking hole was opened from your own front doorstep, how could you not have know that, don't you pride yourself on knowing everything, being ten steps ahead of everybody? You could have at least have kept your temper and nosy AI to yourself while in the Helicarrier. If you had, Loki would still be imprisoned here, there wouldn't be a slew of casualties, and Colson wouldn't be a stain on those beloved cards of his." Stark's eyes couldn't widen any further as he only just managed from leaning back from Fury's rage and the horrifying accusation that he had caused a multitude of deaths including that of Agents'.

"You're shitting me..." Tony whispered, desperately, only an inch away from pleading. Fury drove the final nail home without mercy.

"No Stark, I'm not 'shitting' you. You are no hero, you're a selfish wannabe, a disgrace and a fucking huge disappointment." Fury's words resonated in Tony's mind, echoing those of another. He blocked it from his mind, eyes refocusing on the man in front of him. Tony started, attempting to wrestle up some kind of defense.

"What?! No! I-" Tony said, trying to deny the undeniable truth of Fury's words.

"Save it!" Fury snapped. "A team of real heroes have arrived and I've got to go and greet them." Fury finished.

"Real heroes? Those are my team!" Tony said desperately, beginning to stand.

"No those are the Avengers, you're the _consultant_, and be grateful you're still that." Fury said quiet and damming. Tony froze and sank back into his seat.

"But I'm-" Tony began faintly. Fury ignored him and headed back towards the open doors.

"And if you want to stay a _consultant_ I suggest you do your job and _consult_, work on the repairs for the Helicarrier, and be a good little engineer." Fury waved a hand behind him. "Why don't you wait here, have some coffee, I'm sure your participation in the debrief will be _invaluable_." Fury finished sarcastically as he left without a backward glance. Tony Stark stared after him, silent and breaking.

The Avengers met with Director Fury and Maria Hill when they disembarked from the Quinjet. Fury shook Captain America's hand in welcome, while six SHIELD agents pointed their guns at Loki. Loki for his part ignored them. Thor and the rest of the Avengers reluctantly left their charge with the agents, who then proceeded to place a metallic muzzle and arm length shackles on the mad God. Thor looked like he was going to protest the treatment, but then thought better of it. Fury nodded at them and led them to the conference room where they saw a brooding Ironman, his helmet on, lazing in a chair, staring off into space. Banner collapsed into the seat next to him. Stark didn't acknowledge his presence or anyone else's. The rest followed suit, tiredly grabbing seats and looking toward Fury to begin the debriefing. Fury silently looked at them and then said, "You did good today, but we could have done better." Ironman snorted mechanically. Fury ignored the outburst and continued. "The enemy was defeated but we had many civilian and official casualties." Hawkeye looked down at the table, remembering the men he had killed while under Loki's control. It made him want to seek out the God in his cell and use every trick he knew to take that smug look off his face permanently. He felt a hand under the table gripping his tightly. He glanced over at Natasha next to him who looked straight ahead at Fury, her face giving nothing away. Hawkeye closed his eyes a moment and then returned his attention to the meeting. "Captain," Fury said, with a sharp nod towards Steve. "What would you say were some of things that occurred today that could have gone better?" Ironman shifted his head around.

"You're kidding right?" He said incredulously. Fury stared him down while Captain America shook his head in his direction.

"No, it's a valid question, if we are going to be working together, we need to go over what went wrong today so that we can improve our strategies. It's the only reason I agreed to this debrief in the first place, despite how exhausted we all are. We have to go over this while it's fresh. As you had said we may not be solders, but there are some things we have in common with them, such as protecting innocents and this will help us do exactly that." Ironman tilted his head.

"_We_?" Steve Rogers thought it was an odd thing to say but shook it off as Fury replied for him.

"Yes Ironman, _we_, as in _we_ are _trying_ to finish this meeting. This is not one of you're playboy parties. This matters; we are trying to save lives here." Tony moved, pushing his chair back and gesturing with his hands.

"Fuck it does, I've got actual important shit I've got to be getting on with, like yesterday." Ironman said.

"You don't know the meaning of important, you are far too arrogant; this is not your fucking kingdom. You, Stark, are no King of Thrones!" Fury yelled.

"And you, _Sir_, are no _fucking_ Jack Sparrow!" Stark yelled in response. Bruce Banner snorted into his crappy SHEILD coffee in the ringing silence, as Hawkeye covered his smile with a hand. Natasha was carefully expressionless. Rogers looked around the table, confused.

"I…don't get it." Rogers said quietly, regretfully. Thor clapped him on the back in commiseration.

"Nor do I, who is this Sparrow, is he related to our Hawk?" Thor asked in a booming voice. Hawkeye only just resisted laughing out loud, the look on Fury's face was priceless.

"I'll explain it to you later." Banner said to Thor with a suspiciously serious face. Stark stood up abruptly and started stalking to the exit. He turned around, the blue light shining from his eye slits.

"If you need me, call me, on second thought, don't, I won't pick up. I'm out of this fucking eye in the sky." Tony said, and then he turned his head to Banner and added. "And Brucie you are so invited to my awesome pad, come check it out after your done with this bitch fest." Ironman left without another word. The others looked after him with varying degrees of confusion and consternation.

"What was that about?" Banner asked worriedly. Steve gazed after their missing teammate with disappointment swirling in his gut. Nick Fury's eye patch twitched as he shrugged.

Tony crashed through the penthouse window he had originally been thrown out of hours ago. As soon as he landed on the dented and damaged marble floor he collapsed.

"Sir!" JARVIS exclaimed from within the suit.

"M-alright J, just give me a sec." Tony said thickly as he snapped himself out of the front of the armor and crawled out, like a caterpillar from a cocoon, breathing heavily on the floor for a few minutes. He feebly pried the bracelets off his wrists.

"Well…that could have gone…better." Tony said in a small voice, breathing painfully.

"Oh sir, would you like me to call someone?" JARVIS asked plaintively.

"Hell no." Tony said definitively. He hated even the idea of having anyone see him this pathetic. Bad enough he'd almost broken in front of Fury. God he was so damn weak! Howard had a saying; Stark men are made of iron. He would be steel. He struggled to his feet and staggered to his bar. He chugged the most expensive bottle of liquor he could find and sank slowly down to the floor leaning against the wall as his bruised eyes winced shut, the bottle clutched like a lifeline in his weakened fist.

Assistant Director Maria Hill sat in Fury's office after having watched the conference room scene unfold on her tablet as Fury entered. "I see the mission was a success." She said. She resisted the urge to itch at the bandages that were covering the side of her face. Fury's back slumped once the door to his office was closed. He always relaxed more when he was around her. He folded his hands in his lap as he sat down.

"A bit too successful, I expected him to put up more of a fight, but then I did know where to hit him." Fury said. Maria noticed the pained grimace the man made no attempt to hide.

"It was…painful to watch." She said.

"Trust me it was more painful to do, but it was necessary. The WSC will need a scapegoat for the events of today. It certainly helps that it was from Tony Stark's own tower that the wormhole was opened, and that he was the one that diverted their nuke." Fury said. Maria nodded.

"It was lucky you were able to get him alone first." Fury fixed her with his trademark stare.

"Luck had nothing to do with it, the man always chooses to fly than ride. I knew he would arrive here first, why do you think I arranged for the debrief in the first place." Maria's lips tugged up in small smile.

"And that's why you get paid the big bucks, Sir, or should I say Jack Sparrow, what an awful pirate joke." She said. Fury put his hands over his head.

"No jokes, not now Maria." He said.

"It was harsh but it needed to be done Nick." Maria said seriously, trying to reassure her boss.

"Yes, he had to be separated from the other Avengers in such a way that the others wouldn't protest. He'll keep himself apart from them now. The WSC _will_ attack, but better their ire be directed solely at Stark, than the Initiative as a whole, or SHEILD itself, the world needs us." Fury's back straightened with the strength of his purpose. Maria settled herself back in her chair and mimicked him.

"Yes. But who knows Sir, Stark may just surprise us and survive being left out in the cold." Maria said. Fury shook his head slowly at her.

"Make no mistake Hill, we are not leaving him out in the cold, we are hand feeding him to the wolves. But it's the bigger picture at stake. We have priorities."

"And Stark isn't one of them." Maria said sadly.

"Did anyone else think that was strange?" Dr. Banner asked outside the conference room after the two hour-long debriefing. Natasha shrugged silently. Thor had left to babysit his brother and the Tesseract, until someone figured out what to do with them. Thor was already insisting that he be allowed to return them both to his own world.

"I don't know Stark. But being offensive seems par for the course for him." Steve Rogers said with a frown. Clint smirked.

"The only strange thing I could see was when he invited you over, you just met didn't you?" Clint asked, curious. Banner nodded, remembering how Tony Stark was the first person he'd met in a long time to treat him like a human being despite knowing what he was. His thoughts shied away from Betty.

"We met earlier today for the first time…" Bruce said simply. Clint leaned his side against a wall, folding his arms.

"And he's already inviting you over, I'd watch yourself if I were you." He said.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked his head cocked slightly to the side.

"Just saying, the guy's known to have a reputation, right 'Tash?" Clint insinuated, nudging the Black Widow.

"Hmm." Natasha said noncommittally, staring off into the distance. Clint shook his head.

"Right, well, are you really going to see him?" Clint asked.

"He did invite me, and it's not as if I have anywhere else to stay. I certainly have no wish to experience SHEILD's _hospitality_ anytime soon; I'm pretty sure my room was jettisoned. Besides, I'd like an explanation of what went on in that debrief, something smelled…off about it." Banner said. Steve wondered if Banner might not be right, Fury seemed if anything to be goading Stark, which was…odd. However, Stark was volatile in a way his father, Howard had never been, and completely dismissive of authority. He was vaguely surprised the billionaire had even listened to him at all during the battle. But it was undeniable the man was a hero, even if he had teamwork issues. Steve had learned just how dangerous that rocket (nuke) could have been, far _too_ dangerous. He still had trouble believing his friend Howard would have had a hand in designing something capable of that level of destruction. He shook himself out of his revere, he was far more tired than he had realized. Today had been a long day, not the longest he had ever had, but definitely up there. He reached out a hand to Banner.

"Well, it was nice working with you Dr. Banner. I hope to see you again soon." Captain America said while shaking the man's hand with a smile on his face.

"You as well, Captain." Banner replied politely, returning the grip. Banner turned and left towards the Quinjet dock.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Clint called after him with a leer.

"Which doesn't leave much left." Natasha muttered under her breath. Bruce Banner ignored the assassins, and headed for what was left of Stark Tower, wondering if he was making a huge mistake.

"Sir?" The English accent drifted through the dark and decimated penthouse. Dark save for a faint blue light shinning behind a sweat soaked shirt.

"N-no, pl-." Tony Stark's voice whispered desperately from behind the bar.

"Sir! Sir!" The voice insisted, breaking through Tony's nightmares with the long ease of practice. Tony startled awake, jostling the spilled bottle beside him on the floor.

"W-what?" Tony stuttered.

"Sir, Dr. Banner is down in the lobby." JARVIS answered. Tony blinked at the information and remembered everything, and then immediately tried to forget what had happened on the Helicarrier.

"What? Oh, right, buddy Brucie's here. Yay! Wha-" He asked.

"You've slept for little over two hours sir." JARVIS precipitated the answer.

"Right, time to get moving then, Ow, son of a bitch!" Tony began to more off the cold floor and then clutched at his side. He climbed the rest of the way painfully and gripped the bar to stay upright. "Tell him I'll be right down."

"Of course Sir." JARVIS replied. Tony began to work his way to the elevator, until JARVIS's apologetic voice stopped him. "Sir, the lift is currently out of order due to the extensive damage the building has taken, you'll have to take the stairs." Tony stared at the nearest eyecam incredulously.

"You're kidding, right? Seriously J, that's like 93 flights." Tony said.

"I know Sir." JARVIS answered. Tony groaned, his shoulders hunching in on themselves.

"Ugh. I knew I should have installed that fireman's pole, but Pepper said I couldn't." Tony whined piteously.

"I'm aware Sir, would you like me to inform Dr. Banner to meet you half way?" JARVIS asked, after already having asked Dr. Banner to do so. Tony nodded, relieved to have the hellish stair climbing time halved.

"Yeah sure, why not?"

Dr. Bruce Banner had tiredly walked to the tower from where the jet had left him. He entered what was left of Stark Tower stepping carefully though the shattered glass doors and moved through the empty lobby with something approaching trepidation. He was just about to change his mind and look for some hotel to crash in, when a prim English voice suddenly appeared out of thin air and greeted him. "Dr. Banner. Welcome to Stark Tower, the lifts are currently out of order but if you would use the stairs to your right you will be led to Mr. Stark, who is eagerly awaiting you." Bruce started back and looked around frantically for the source of the voice.

"Um…right, and you are?" He asked, half worried that he might be even more exhausted than he had at first thought. The voice spoke again.

"I am JARVIS, an A.I. created by Sir in order to assist him." Banner thought about that for a second.

"Sir meaning Tony Stark I presume." Bruce asked.

"Correct." JARVIS responded.

"Okaay." Bruce said taking the impressive A.I. in stride. He looked over at an emergency door over to the right and headed towards it. "I'll take the stairs then, um, how many flights is this building?" He asked while looked at the ceiling, needing to direct his eyes while speaking to the disembodied voice.

"Do not worry, Sir is coming down to meet you half way as I speak."

"Oh, well that's alright then." Banner said while nodding, too tired to notice or recognize the emotion that colored the A.I.'s voice.

He met Tony Stark after staggering up more than fifty flights. He was pretty sure the endless stairs would have been the death of him if he weren't already certain that he was nigh unkillable. He turned the corner, wondering if it would be worth it to just give up and go back down, when he saw Tony Stark lying in a curled unconscious sweaty lump on the next landing. He rapidly ran up to the man and crouched above him. He breathed a sigh of relief at finding that he was still breathing, even if it was labored. Banner's experience over the past few years came to the fore as he felt at Stark's neck and found his pulse was thready but there. He thumbed open an eyelid and checked his pupil, noting the smell of liquor on his breath as he did so. He also noticed the pallor of the billionaire's slick skin as well. JARVIS voice issued calmly from Stark's jean pocket.

"Dr. Banner, Sir has no serious injury but is exceedingly exhausted. If you would be so kind as to assist Sir in getting to a bed, you will find a guest apartment on the next level." Banner reached nervously into Stark's pants and pulled out an advanced looking cell phone.

"I am not that kind of doctor, he needs an ambulance. I'm calling 911." Banner determined as he tried dialing said number, but the keypad would not work. He silently cursed his lack of an Other-Guy-proof phone.

"I am aware of your credentials doctor, but I must respectfully disagree with your assessment, Mr. Stark despises hospitals and would argue that in the aftermath of this battle, there are many others who desperately need medical assistance and he would not want to take up valuable resources that could be better utilized elsewhere."

"The man is unconscious, he needs help!" Bruce said urgently. He could hear a faint roar echoing from within his mind and closed his eyes as he reined in his emotions roughly. The green receded from his eyes as the A.I. continued.

"You are help Dr. Banner, please bring him to the room I specified. Please." The A.I.'s voice pleaded, radiating deep concern. Bruce rocked on his heels, shocked for a moment before acceding to the A.I.'s directions. He couldn't help but marvel on the creation that was JARVIS. The A.I. seemed to be a creation even more spectacular than the arc reactor and Iron Man armor combined.

Banner tiredly dropped the smaller man onto a large bed and then sat beside him for a moment, breathing deeply. He checked Stark's vitals again. His pulse seemed to have steadied. Banner couldn't help but wonder how this was his life. He dragged himself to his feet and made the billionaire as comfortable as he could make him. Then he grabbed a chair over and watched over him as he slept, before unwillingly nodding off himself. JARVIS watched over both of them.

Tony Stark blinked his eyes open slowly at the unfamiliar surroundings and wiped some drool from the corner of his mouth. He focused in on the physicist sleeping in the chair beside his bed. The scruffy man's head rested on his chest and his leg was folded one over the other, his arms crossed limply over his stomach. Tony abruptly realized that he was in one of his guest bedrooms. He moved achingly slowly from under the covers and reached for his phone on the stand beside him. He checked his messages and threw some obnoxious texts at JARVIS for a while. He smiled at the replies. If anyone had had to see him in such a pitiful state he was glad it had been Bruce of all people. He was sure Bruce wouldn't use his weakness against him. But then he'd been sure of Obie too. He squashed down his sudden paranoia and looked over at Bruce fondly. Bruce seemed to somehow feel his regard. The man's head snapped up and zeroed in on him. "You're awake." Tony resisted the urge to say obviously. "Oh right, I'm awake too, must have slept. Obviously. What time is it?" Banner asked rambling. Tony grinned and showed him the face of his phone.

"6am, eight hours of sleep and all is well!" Tony singsonged. Banner frowned and pointed at him.

"You collapsed." Banner accused him. Tony nodded and pointed back at him.

"You slept with me." Tony retorted. Banner narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

"You're going to tell that to everybody, aren't you?" Bruce asked. Tony's smile widened as he toyed with his phone again.

"Tweeted it an hour ago. #isleptwiththehulk. Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Stark asked innocently. Banner sighed loudly.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Tony checked himself over, finding that he felt relatively better; his headache had faded to the background and was no longer trying to beat his skull in with a blunt stick.

"Better actually, how about you Jolly Rancher? You look all bright eyed and bushy tailed since your Hulkout. You know it'd be really cool if Hulk had a tail, I could totally see that, maybe like a green lion tail or something. By the by I'm glad you came." Tony added, eyes burrowing into his own gratefully. Banner smiled gently.

"I'm glad I did too." His smile faded remembering how terrifying Stark's condition had been. "If you were that tired you shouldn't have tried walking down all those flights." Tony's hands twisted in the blankets surrounding him, as he grinned at him.

"Had to see you Bruciekins, it's proper host etiquette, and I'm nothing but the epitome of propriety and hostliness. Any who, JARVIS says that the elevator's are back online again, thank fuck, and I need a shower." Tony said in disgust while sniffing at his shirt.

"Hmm. Me too." Banner agreed wholeheartedly. Tony leered.

"Wanna share?" He asked suggestively.

"Emphatic no." Banner snorted as he answered succinctly. Tony mock pouted.

"Awzzz. Why not?" He whined piteously.

"Tony." Banner said deadpanned.

"Brucie." Tony mimicked. Bruce face palmed. Tony grimaced. "Fine, but I get firsties." Tony gave in with bad grace.

"Sounds good." Bruce agreed hiding his smile.

"Then more food." Tony added. Bruce's stomach decided to growl loudly.

"Sounds better. It seems like forever since Shawarma." Banner said feelingly. Tony lifted a finger.

"And that should be a bumper sticker, which I'm totally putting on my suit's ass right under the I Slept With The Hulk one I've already had JARVIS fabricate." JARVIS's voice sounded from an unseen speaker in the room.

"Your scholarly utilization of my abilities constantly impresses me Sir."

"As it should." Tony stated with a solemn nod.

Tony slowly raised himself off the bed and carefully walked to the elevator, trying not to show the observant doctor just how much pain he was still in. Bruce however, was preoccupied. He ached from the awkward position he had taken in the chair and tried to work the kinks out of his frame as he followed Tony. The ride up would have been awkwardly silent but for the ongoing banter that Tony kept up with mostly himself. They eventually arrived at the penthouse floor. Tony gestured Bruce to the remarkably intact liquor cabinet in the corner before striding to his bathroom, shooing a stray pigeon from his couch on the way. He vaguely wondered how the hell the winged rat had gotten up this high in the first place. Bruce ignored the alcohol and looked around at the mess of an apartment, noting in passing the broken shell of an Iron Man suit lying neglected amongst shattered glass.

In all the excitement that had occurred since he arrived at the Tower, Bruce Banner had forgotten the real reason he had come to see Tony Stark in the first place. He had forgotten that he had meant to ask Tony why the debriefing on the Helicarrier had gone so pear-shaped, but Tony's sickness and his own bout of sleepiness and Tony's subsequent distracting banter had thrown that thought far from his mind. Bruce moseyed around the wreaked flat and picked up a stray magazine, New Scientist, and struggled to read some of the more interesting articles while he waited for his turn to take a shower. He wished his glasses didn't have to break every time he had an episode with the Other Guy.

Tony leaned against the closed door of the bathroom heaving a sigh of relief. He forced himself forward, stripping and entering his shower, which was the perfect temperature. Tip of the hat to JARVIS. The cleansing mist sprayed him from all sides, extremely gentle on his sore muscles and bruises, and not flashback inducing. Unlike a regular shower or god forbid a bath would be, which was nice. He looked at himself in the glass reflection. His right side and back were a mass of black, blue, and red all over. Great now he was a pun, how was this his life. He rested his head on the cool glass as he soaped himself, groaning as he relaxed from the heated mist. "JARVIS you still in SHEILD's systems?" He whispered.

"Indeed Sir, they believe they've removed me." JARVIS replied softly.

"As if they could. Anything I should know?" Tony asked. The silence spoke louder than words.

"…"

"J?" Tony asked sternly.

"I _may_ have picked up on a conversation that explains Fury's treatment of you, though it does not excuse it." JARVIS stated reluctantly.

"I'm glad to hear he's still on your shit list. Play it." Tony ordered. One glass wall shone with a blue radiance and resolved to show a video of Fury's office as he and Maria had a conversation about yours truly. He could barely believe his eyes or his ears. But he did believe JARVIS. After the video finished he felt oddly better. Now he knew that there was reason that Fury had said the things he had. Even if he was still infuriated that the manipulative bastard had hurt him that way, no matter how good the reason. However, he could admit to himself that he wasn't all that crazy about being hand fed to wolves. That just did not sound good, no matter how you spun it. After all the wolves might be on a diet or something and he'd just hate to spoil someone's diet. That would be mean.

"Sir?" JARVIS asked tentatively. Tony shook his wet hair out of his face and ran a soapy hand through his hair.

"Well that was…expected, it makes sense. Of course the WSC needs a scapegoat, and who better than me? I should have realized." Tony said bitterly. "Erase the footage, both my heart to heart with Nick and the one with Maria and him." Tony said.

"But Sir!" JARVIS protested.

"Erase them." Tony insisted.

"As you wish." JARVIS responded.

"Don't go all Princess Bride on me J."

"I wouldn't dream of it Sir."

"Enjoy your shower?" Bruce asked when Stark entered the den with a towel around his shoulders, wearing new clothes.

"You've no idea." Tony replied with a PR smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Looks like we missed a bit of fun while we were sleeping." Tony added with a wave towards the sun.

"Fun?" Banner asked speculating on what he missed. Tony nodded sagely.

"Seems Loki and the Tesseract will be going home to not-so-mythical Asgard with Thor." Tony said.

"Good." Bruce said.

"Good?" Tony questioned.

"The Tesseract is too much of a temptation here, a temptation we obviously can't resist. And I didn't much like the idea of Loki being on Earth for any amount of time, guy's crazier than the bag of cats I thought he was and far too powerful." Bruce explained. Tony's smile turned more genuine.

"True dat. I knew there was a reason I liked you, Big Guy." Tony said.

"Can you not?" Bruce asked sadly.

"Not what? Go take your shower buddy, the water's warm. Of course the water's always whatever temp you like, but still. I'll try to find you some fresh clothes, kay?" Tony asked hoping he could find something that would fit the broad shouldered man.

"Thanks Tony." Tony tried to smother the warm fuzzy feelings blooming in his gut. He remembered Fury and Hill's conversation about him and that did it. He was going to have to keep his distance from Bruce and the others or they might just end up becoming WSC targets as well, and he wasn't going to let that happen. He'd die first.


	2. Chapter 2

New Yorkers being New Yorkers and therefore being desensitized to all manner of violent weird shit happening in their own backyard, even an alien battle of epic proportions had become blasé after a night of talk show hostery, he's definitely going to check to see what Cobert thought of the whole thing; dude's hilarious, the cleanup from the battle was already well underway. Tony was not at all surprised that his favorite pizza place around the corner was still open despite being littered with dead Chitauri. Before leaving the Tower, Tony found his sunglasses and cap and then walked to the shop to pick up his order, extra everything. He found a few changes of clothes that looked like they might fit Bruce from a shop along the way. Of course, just about everyone recognized him, but he was able to make it back to the penthouse without any major incidents. Not for the first time, he was tempted to put a paper bag with a smiley face over his head. He could totally patent that; call it Hobo Baggins or something. Is that even funny, _God_ he doesn't even know anymore, he can't _still_ be tired. He hadn't slept for so long in _years_! He just was so not up to people dealing right now. He was all kinds of achy. He walked stiffly, keeping his cracked ribs as stationary as possible while he moved. His PR grin felt like a rictus on his face. A paper bag smile would look more realistic.

He took the time while hurrying with the steaming pizza box to think about his options. He'd read Bruce's file. He'd seen the hunted look in the man's eyes when they would meet his own which was rare, and couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with him. Bruce was Tony without his protective masks, vulnerable. Tony wanted to protect him, to give him a place where the man could just breathe and be himself. But that place couldn't be with Tony, not until he had figured out a way to deal with the WSC. And he would find a way, come hell or high water, no one fucked with Tony Stark. He would give those bastards the indigestion of their life if they tried to devour him. But the question remained, what to do with Bruce Banner. By the time he'd arrived at the Tower and saw the large letter A on the top of the building, he had the beginnings of an answer.

"I can't believe you got me an Ironman hoodie to wear." Bruce fresh from his shower and full from pizza lifted the green hoodie out from his chest to look down at it in bemusement. Tony shrugged, finishing off some oozy cheesy crust.

"What? It's in your size, and looks awesome! I mean I would have gotten a Hulk one, but they haven't made them yet. I can't wait to see your catchphrase is!" Tony finished, his voice exited.

"And yours is…" Bruce Banner trailed off questioningly. A song began playing from Tony's mobile.

"Shaft!" Tony snapped his head up.

"That is _not_ my catchphrase. Mine is, "I am Ironman!" He began singing some of Black Sabbath's song as he tapped at his phone screen. "Hmmm, Fury says its time to see Loki off world. Through the Tesseract Stargate and beyond!"

"Oh, right." Bruce nodded, his mouth a flat line. Tony frowned and fiddled with his phone.

"Is that okay, I know the guy messed with you in the Helicarrier..." Bruce shook his head, his hair flopping about.

"No…no it's fine. I want to see him gone."

"Preferably dragged off kicking and screaming. I hope Odin's got something nasty in store for him." Tony added with a sneer.

"If Norse lore is anything to go by, I wouldn't want to be in Loki's shoes for all the tea in China." Banner said evenly.

"Have you actually seen Loki's shoes, like no style what's so ever, anti-style!" Tony laughed. Bruce pointed at his shirt.

"Worse than an Ironman hoodie?" He asked.

"Hell no, your totally dressed to the nines Brucie dear." Tony sighed morosely and gestured towards a bag on the sofa. "But…if it bothers you so much, there are some more 'you' clothes on the sofa." Bruce moved quickly towards the sofa and rifled through the bag with a relieved smile in Tony's direction.

"Yeah, these are more 'me'. Thanks." Tony waved his thanks off with an awkward hand.

"Forget about it." Bruce swiftly got changed in Tony's bedroom. "Soooo, you good?" Bruce nodded calmly fingering the middle button on his purple shirt. "Then let's get going."

Clint Barton was more than nervous. He'd only been free from Loki's control for a day and a half. If he closed his eyes he could still feel the blue tinged contentment that had filled every part of his being, invaded him. He shuddered uncontrollably for a moment, before wrapping his arms around himself to still the tremors. He'd been mindfucked, it had been worse than anything he had ever experienced. Even his crap childhood couldn't hold a candle to his time with Loki. Choiceless, enslaved, forced to kill his own- He wasn't supposed to think like that. Natasha would be angry if she even suspected his line of thinking. This was all Loki's doing, it was. He had to go and see him leave, hell; he wished he could see him executed. He wished he could carry out said execution himself, with his bare hands, slowly, painfully. His hands clenched, digging his nails into his palms. He was worried that he couldn't be trusted not to kill the would-be God the instant he saw him again. When he had found out what had happened to Coulson, what Loki had done to him, what Clint had allowed to happen to the man who had been closer than any family he had ever known… He didn't think he could constrain himself. Not anymore, he'd been too long without his own control. If he weren't currently confined to his room and guarded he would have done something already.

"You're getting rusty." Clint started and turned to see Natasha Romanoff having entered the room in complete silence. Her eyes scanned him, seeing everything. He never concealed anything from her, he never could.

"Am not." He retorted. She raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Oh?" Natasha asked. Clint winced, rubbing his arms.

"I…can't. I'm…frightened." Natasha moved to kneel in front of him and put her hand on top of his own on his arms.

"No your not, not really." She said. Barton shook his head with a sad smile.

"No I am Tash, I really am."

"If you can't control yourself-" Natasha started.

"Then you'll control me…" Clint interrupted bitterly. Natasha tightened her hold on him.

"No, then I'll kill him myself." She said. Clint's eyes widened as his breathing stuttered.

"He's a God." He stated.

"He's a dick, and I know how to preform a castration ritual." She allowed herself a small genuine smile. She could show a little of herself to him, he deserved as much of herself as she could give.

"Ick. I don't know what's scarier about that statement. Your knowledge about that or the fact that you're serious."

"Hmm, both I should think." She purred in his ear as he laughed.

Thor held the Tesseract tightly and kept his eyes firmly fixed upon his shackled brother. He wished he had had the time to see his beloved Jane. He was certain she was going to be very cross when she heard of his return and sudden departure. However he was also certain she would understand the importance of returning the Tesseract to its rightful place. Then again she'd probably wish to study the device herself. His eyes refocused on Loki. He couldn't be sure with the gag in place, but it seemed to him that he was…smiling. Thor frowned, suddenly wondering if his brother might not have some mischief still hidden up his sleeve. The Man of Iron slapped at his shoulder distracting him from his musings.

"So, off you pop then, hop somewhere over the rainbow, and don't rest in the poppies whatever you do." Anthony Stark said rapidly.

"I will attempt not to, Man of Iron." Thor replied gravely.

"Rrright." Stark said while rolling his eyes. The tense man who dwelled within the green ogre shuffled from foot to foot, not meeting anyone's gaze. The Captain, without his uniform, watched the proceedings steadily. And the Hawk…Thor did not like the look of the archer's cold gray eyes as he stared at his brother; the ruby headed Lady Widow standing loosely by his elbow. Not that he wished to begrudge the Hawk his just revenge. But family was family, even if it was adopted family. Thor fixed his eyes at Loki and forcefully turned the Tesseract device, transporting himself and Loki back home. He greeted Heimdall with a booming hail as the golden machinery spun brightly into being around them. There was no place like home.

Steve Rogers wasn't really surprised at Stark's lack of seriousness at such a vital occasion. Though he was pleased that he once again understood the references. He watched the brothers closely as they disappeared into the light. He _was_ surprised however, that Stark had bothered to show up at all, after leaving the debriefing so rudely yesterday. He also found it curious that Dr. Banner was still with him. But the fellow had to kip somewhere, and he really couldn't blame him for not wanting SHEILD accommodations. He himself wasn't crazy about staying in the rookie apartment building, conveniently located in good-old downtown Brooklyn. Living in his childhood town, surrounded by others of his own age, sharing nothing in common with them, made him realize once again how out of touch he really was. Sometimes he felt his full ninety-five years, the passing of time lying heavily on his muscular shoulders. Sometimes…he barely felt human. He shook hands politely and said his farewells to the team before leaving on his old motorcycle that Fury had found preserved in his father's storage, and re-gifted to him. He had no idea where he was going. He was lost in every sense of the word; he wished he could be found. He decided to visit the Catskills temporarily, but couldn't find what he was searching for, whatever it was, though he did enjoy the brief breath of fresh air. Reluctantly, he ended up going back to his lonely SHEILD issued apartment.

(3d)abny

Tony left Bruce and New York behind a few days after sending Loki home. He and Pep had already drawn up some plans for the reconstruction of the Tower. He mentioned something about the incoming cold weather as an excuse to Bruce before hopping on his jet with Pepper for Malibu. He wanted to distance himself from Pepper as well, in case the WSC decided to attack him through her. But she would have none of it; being the feisty, sexy creature he had fallen for. He didn't tell her about the WSC. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't pry. He loved her for that more than anything. She could push to his breaking point, and then leave it up to him. Ask without asking. He wished he could share the burden with her, but he wouldn't. She would go all mama bear and attack the World Security Council head on. Which he wouldn't mind watching, except that he was afraid that she would get squished in the struggle. Power without a face was dangerous. It was not held accountable, and did not give a shit about anything that wasn't itself. He didn't want Pepper to have to face off against the soulless organization; she was too good for them. Tony however, wasn't.

(1.5w)abny

Tony Stark entered the Helicarrier in his newest suit, Mark 43. The carrier was currently flying over Hoboken, New Jersey. He was tempted to stop and check on Bruce at the Tower on the way. Unfortunately, he remembered his promise to keep himself separate until the threat was dealt with. He'd even gotten Happy out of the way. He'd sent him over to protect Pepper as her undercover bodyguard. Hopefully that would protect both of them, and of course Rhodey was as safe as his best tech could make him, which was very. He hadn't seen Fury since the disastrous debrief from hell, and he really wasn't all that crazy about doing so. The man's words still stung. They still felt true, hell maybe they were. But that didn't really matter. It was important that he upgraded the Helicarrier, and be a good little engineer. It was a vital tool in protecting the populace, and the fact that it had been taking out by an assassin with an arrow and a few lines of code was just plain sad. He would rather have delivered the new designs and mods electronically. But unfortunately the upgrades needed to be imputed manually into the servers to insure their security. He reluctantly stepped out of the suit when he found an empty room to leave it in. No one could take it, but he hated being stripped of its protection. Not that he was weak or anything, he could handle Fury, yeah, he totally could. He strode down the hallway, waving cockily at the pencil pushers that passed him. After a few minutes wandering down the halls he detected a noise that sounded like someone…snoring. He looked around the corridor in each direction and saw no one. Then he looked up at the large vent crossing the hall with a grating in the middle. He found a chair by a door and dragged it over. He climbed it and peered in through the grate. A vague human shape seemed to be sleeping within. He took a screwdriver out of an inside pocket and popped open the screen, and began poking the person obnoxiously. "Oy!" Clint Barton yelled wrenching his body to the side. His sudden violent movement caused the vent to crash to the ground with Tony on top of it. Clint crawled out and glowered at him with deeply shadowed eyes.

"I could ask a lot of questions right now and I really, really want to. So lets start with why you were snoring, I thought you were a master assassin. Isn't snoring, un-ninja?" Tony asked while struggling to his feet. He straightened out his rumpled clothes. Clint arose to his full height and stared down his nose at the billionaire.

"I could strangle you right now in eleven different ways, is that ninja enough? And I'm more of a sniper than an assassin. So I snore, got a problem with that?" Barton said aggressively. Tony put his hands up playfully in surrender.

"Oooh touch-y! And the vents?" Tony queried.

"What about them?" Clint asked warily, keeping eye contact, his mouth a thin line.

"You sleep in them? Don't you have a bed?" Tony probed, leaning back on a wall.

"I was mapping them out and fell asleep. Got it?" Clint grumbled.

"Not really no, but let's pretend I do. Soooo mind guiding me to the server room while you're here? We can catch up on old times." Stark said. Clint reached a hand behind his neck and pinched.

"Yeah, not really up for that Stark." He said tiredly.

"Awes come on, we barely had a chance to talk last time." Tony begged.

"Lucky, lucky." Clint muttered to himself. "What do you need to go there for anyway?" He asked.

"Fury wanted me to update the carrier, stop it from being taken out by snoring snipers and the like." Tony smirked, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Clint looked up, feeling guilty but not showing it.

"Fine, whatever, the rooms this way." Clint moved off quickly towards the room in question, Tony walking beside him. Tony noticed how Clint's shoulders hunched when they walked past other SHEILD agents. He also noted how said agents either ignored Barton or outright scowled at him. He broke the silence between them gleefully.

"So Natalie here?" Tony asked.

"Natasha. And it's none of your business." Clint said brusquely.

"That's my favorite kind of business." Tony said with a wink.

"Here we are, Stark. I'm off." Clint said dropping him off at the door to the server room. He then began looking for the nearest grate to climb through.

"We'll always have Shawarma!" Tony called after him as Clint disappeared into the darkness of a vent.

Being thrown seventy years into the future was an experience Captain Steven Rogers wouldn't wish upon his worst enemy, and he had some pretty nasty enemies, but still... It honestly terrified him. It wasn't even so much the shocking differences between the centuries. It wasn't the new age technology; the constant attacks on his 40's sensitivities and 'old-fashioned' morals, or even the missing history that he was still trying to catch up on. It was in actuality the glaring similarities between this time and his own that truly jarred him. He would walk down an unfamiliar street in Brooklyn, past a row of televisions that recorded his movements in a shop window, then his head would snap around to see a park across from him. A park that he had often walked through hand in hand with his mother before a coughing fit would overtake him…then he would fly right back through time, until the noise and bustle of this futuristic City once more dragged him back to this reality in a dizzying blur. If the world had changed completely he could have dealt with that, he could have adapted, but this…

It would always come upon him suddenly, seeing a familiar car, classic, the smell of roasting chestnuts as he would leave the train, the once familiar streets, a well known brownstone, having a sarsaparilla from familiar shop, now called soda, Lady Liberty, still inspiring, every time he turned around there was something new, old, shocking him with its unfamiliar familiarity. So when SHEILD offered him a chance to do some good, Avenger PR work in Washington DC, he almost literally jumped at the chance to leave this hauntingly ghost-filled town. He needed to get away, even if only for a short while. The cleanup from the Battle of New York was well underway and he wasn't needed here. The other Avengers had each gone their separate ways, though he did have their contact information. Once he arrived and settled in the Capital he had every intention of writing them letters. He may not have trusted SHEILD since the Tesseract business, but he did believe in the Avengers Initiative, it had given him new purpose in this strange new Century. And if he had to play the dancing monkey once again to keep the Initiative alive, he would do so, because it's what Captain America would do, though he hoped this time he wouldn't have to lift a motorcycle filled with dancing dames. He wouldn't hold his breath though.

(1m)abny

"Is Widow still AWOL?" Maria Hill asked Nick Fury after giving him her monthly report.

"She sure as shit is!" Fury shouted.

"What could she be thinking, do you think she's defected?" Maria asked.

"She wouldn't. Not without Barton. I have no fucking clue what is in her head." Fury said rifling through the reports on his desk.

"On a lighter note, Stark's upgrades seem to be holding up well." Maria said, looking down at her tablet. Fury snorted.

"Of course they are, the man would do anything to stay on as a consultant to the team." Fury said ruefully. Hill rubbed her forefinger anxiously.

"Are we going to do anything about the Mandarin, Sir?" She asked in a rush. Fury let out a huffed breath.

"We can't." He said.

"Why?" She asked simply. Fury spread his hands.

"The WSC is making its move." Fury said quietly.

"Against Stark?" Maria asked with a gasp.

"So it seems." Fury nodded.

"But what about the civilian casualties?" She questioned.

"Not our problem." Fury replied.

"But isn't-" Maria said angrily.

"Stark will handle it or he'll fail, but we are not _allowed_ to get involved." Fury said gall making his words stick in his throat.

"Shit." Maria said succinctly.

"Yeah…shit." Fury agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

(1.3m)abny

He didn't catch Pepper. He asked her to fall and promised to catch her, to trust him, and he _missed_. Watching the curl of her reaching fingers as they just missed his own as she fell fast into the flowering flames, he could barely feel a thing. She was his heart, proof and all, and then he had lost her. He felt less and less human every day. Sometime he felt like more of a machine than his beloved machines were. Then she arose more like a phoenix from the flame than he ever was and she saved him. Pepper always saved him, inspired him, and loved him when no one else would. At least now he would have a chance to save her, to not miss. First he would cure her of Extremis, which she was injected with because of him, then he would deal with the WSC, free them both from that particular burden, and then he would leave Pepper, unclip her wings from the weight of him dragging her down. She deserved someone decent, someone who would catch her when she fell, and someone who wasn't so broken in oh so many ways. Tony held her smoking body in his arms and kissed her fiercely, painfully as the Helicarrier suddenly showed up overhead. SHEILD would, of course, conveniently arrive after the party was over. Not that he wanted them at his parties anyways. However it would have been nice if at least one of the Avengers had thought to come and help him out. He was sure that they must have heard about everything, well maybe not Thor, who was off world where they didn't get cable, but certainly everyone else. The news was practically shrieking its collective head off about it. But then he probably wasn't a real Avenger, Fury must have been right about that. If he had been surely one of them would have come. He tried not to feel the pang of his wounded heart at the thought and shied away from it.

It didn't take a genius level intellect to figure out who had been behind Aldrich Killian and his rag tag science team. The rubber stamp of the council had left its marks all over this shit fest. He had been impatiently waiting for them to make their move. And now the WSC had finally showed its dastardly, evildoing hand. Because of their funding of AIM and Killian, there was now a trail leading straight back to them, a very traceable trail. They were about to learn that they should never have fucked with him. They shouldn't have hurt Happy. They shouldn't have hurt Rhodey. And they should never, ever, have harmed Pepper. Those bastards were going to _pay_.

(1.8m)abny

"Hey JARVIS? How's it coming, man?" Tony asked while driving Dum-e and Butterfingers to his hotel. You's frame had been too badly damaged to recover from the ocean unfortunately, although his personality and CPU memory were still uploaded on the Stark Cloud. He would just need to rebuild You. Maybe he could give him some repulsor capabilities… He would like that. He shook himself and got back to the matter at hand, speaking to JARVIS through his earpiece as he wove through the Malibu traffic. Which was as pleasingly vicious as usual.

"I've getting a lock on their locations and information, now Sir." JARIVS's British tone responded, proudly.

"Details, details! Come on share with the rest of the class!" Tony yelled joyfully as he pulled sharply in front of a Honda Accord that had had the audacity to cut him off.

"The members of the World Security Council include…Mary Cooper-Maryland, CEO of Grecos LTD., Tiberius Stone-" Tony cut in harshly and turned the wheel sharply, almost striking a guardrail.

"Bastard!" Tony snarled. JARVIS continued impervious.

"Indeed Sir, CEO of Stone Industries, London, Gregorio Matigo-Spain, Interior of Defense, and Yuki Toshiro-Tokyo, President of Toshiro Technologies." JARVIS finished. Tony laughed and tossed his head.

"Ha! And they thought they were unknowable beings of untouchableness, JARVIS begin Protocol No' Mo' Money." Tony ordered.

"Initiating Protocol No' Mo' Money now Sir." JARVIS said.

"Fantastic! Hmmm, I can't help but wonder why I wasn't invited to this evil guild of evil in the first place? Surely I'm qualified, overqualified really…or at least I was…" Tony finished lamely.

"Perhaps your invite had gotten lost in the post, Sir?" JARVIS said playfully in his ear. Tony nodded in mock agreement, even though his A.I. could not currently see him.

"USPS is sooo unreliable these days. I'm sure that's it. You know J, I just had an awesome idea!" Tony said excitedly. JARVIS sighed.

"Not another, 'all my car's should have female KIT voice and programing' idea, is it Sir?" JARVIS asked. Tony smiled.

"Well they _should_! And I just needed to tweak the coding a bit. Although I will admit the Maserati was a tad over possessive, I'm sure she didn't mean to try to drive me over the pier and drown me. Anyways _this_ idea is waaay better. I should buy and privatize the post office! Pepper could have the postal service up and running at thrice the efficiency at less than half the cost within a week! I could totally see that, Stark Postal Service, delivering your mail at supersonic speeds! You know, Captain America totally has the hat for that, what with the Hermes wings and all he's got going, he could totally help deliver." Tony flapped a free hand at the side of his head. And then nodded assuredly. "Yeah, we're doing that; work on a cool SPS logo won't you J? And we need to celebrate our upcoming victorious cyber attack on the WSC. What kind of celebratory balloons do you like J?" Tony asked cocking his head.

"The Iron Man one they have at the Thanksgiving day parade?" The A.I. replied immediately. Tony stared at the surrounding traffic for a long moment.

"You mean…the humongous one that takes like 30 people to move?" Tony asked. After a period of silence Tony continued. "Well…I'll say one thing for you J, at least you think big. Eh, I'm sure we can manage something." Tony finished with a shrug and a grin just thinking about it.

"I'm glad to hear it." JARVIS said as straight-faced as an A.I. without a face could sound.

"Anything for you man." Tony replied feelingly.

(1.9m)abny

Tony leaned back in his black leather chair aboard his private jet. Blue tinged holograms surrounded him. He folded his hands on his knees as he watched the show play out in front of him. "Fury, how did Aldrich Killian fail us so miserably?" Mary Cooper asked, her voice cold and clinical. Tiberius' opinion chimed in roughly.

"I told you Tones was a sneaky bastard." Tiberius said.

"You think Tony Stark's behind this?" Fury asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all Director, all the WSC funds having been mysteriously deposited into the charity fund for rebuilding New York? Yeah that sounds just like him." Tiberius finished with a grimace. Tony smiled to himself. As much as he liked hearing people talk about him, he wanted to get this over with. He hacked Fury's feed and replaced it with his own charming visage, appearing on all of the WSC's screens. The faces in front of him looked up at him in shock for a moment before talking over each other angrily. The loudest voice demanded his attention.

"How did you interrupt this conference?" Yuki Toshiro asked angrily.

"With ease, now let's see, careers, reputations, and bank accounts all ruined. Sucks to be in the evil league of evil, now doesn't it?" Tony asked rhetorically.

"So you _were_ behind all of this." Tiberius stated, his face tight with rage. Tony put folded his hands behind his head and propped his feet up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ty." Tony said nonchalantly. Tiberius snarled.

"You are such a dick." Tiberius Stone said. Tony wagged his finger.

"Un uh. Pot. Kettle. Black. Says one of the bastards who tried to kill millions in New York not to mention fund an organization like AIM, all just to get to me." Tony said.

"Narcissist, now I see it, we did read your file after all. AIM was not just about you, they were doing important pivotal work for the betterment of the world." Gregorio Matigo said, his accent thick. Tony lowered his head.

"The greater good…" Tony chanted, trailing off.

"Exactly." Grogorio said. Tony snorted.

"Humph. Yeah we all know where that leads, hail Hitler." Tony said.

"You've no imagination Stark." Tiberius Stone accused. Tony took his arms down and folded them over his stomach.

"I invent shit, you destroy shit, I pretty sure I could tell you which of us has less imagination here." Tony said. He shrugged his shoulders. "So how do you want this to go down? You wanna break up what's left of your creepy club on your own or do you want me to do it for you?" Tony threatened. Mary Cooper sat up in her chair.

"You can't touch us! We know you destroyed all your suits!" She screamed almost hysterically. Obviously the loss of her funds had thrown her for a loop. Tony smiled indifferently at the woman.

"I am Iron Man with or without the suit." Tony said, liking the way that sounded.

"You seem rather useless without it to me." Yuki Toshiro said. Tony laughed scathingly.

"Yeah, but that's the misconception, you see the armor the bells and whistles, the general awesome shininess and ya think it's all there just to protect weak little me, like a turtle in a shell. What you fail to realize is that I'm more of a threat to you with out the suit. After I'm done with you, you'll wish I had used the armor instead. I can wipe your identities from the map if I wanted; reveal to the world all the little secrets I've found out about each of you and air out your entire Council's dirty laundry as well. I don't think the world would look kindly on any of you, do you? You've been a very naughty Council." Tony said. The Council looked on him in horror.

"And what is it you want Stark?" Gregorio Matigo asked slowly.

"I already told you. I want you to stop playing God and I want you to leave the Avengers and SHEILD to their own devices." Tony said.

"There's a reason we control things Stark. Whether you agree with our methods or not, we keep order in the world." Tiberius rumbled.

"Well its time for a new order. Now step down, or be squished." Tony said. The Council was silent for a full minute as they tried to stare him down, each in their own way. Mary Cooper was the first to crack.

"I'm done." She said.

"Me as well." Matigo agreed grimly.

"I am out of this." Toshiro said.

"You win Stark, enjoy your victory, hollow as it is." Tiberius said as he glared.

"Enjoy scraping what's left of your credit scores, criminal records, and pennies from the bottom of your collective piggy banks. Happy trails!" Tony responded with an insolent wave.

"You'll pay for this!" Cooper snapped her lip curling in a snarl. Tony tisked.

"Ick, _cliché_. Yeah and good luck with that." Tony said and then blacked out all the hologram screens, ending the conference except for Fury's end.

Fury spoke up suddenly in the sudden silence having heard the entire conversation and seen the powerful World Security Council utterly destroyed in a matter of minutes.

"We need to talk, in person." Fury said.

"I'll be in New York tomorrow, my schedule's open, set a time." Tony replied.

(1.9m)abny

Tony met with Fury at the New York City SHEILD location, cleverly disguised beneath an abandoned Borders bookstore. He drove his silver convertible V8 inside the underground car park next door and entered through a side door with a key code. The doors opened immediately into a sterile and sedate lobby. A bespectacled beauty of a brunette sat behind the wide desk typing on a laptop. Tony approached and asked without preamble. "Where's Fury?" The brunette raised her head in her own time and asked with a polite arch of her brows over her glasses.

"Who Sir?" She asked. Of course this being a secret origination of secrets, the secretary did not have a nametag. So in his head he dubbed her with uptight brunette.

"You know who I mean and who I am, just cut the red tape already and send me through." Tony demanded impatiently. The uptight brunette looked up at him with a convincingly blank stare.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean sir. Might I enquire if you have an appointment?" She asked blandly.

"I'm sure you might. Just point me in Fury's direction, ah forget it." Tony tapped his earpiece. "JARVIS, which way?" He asked.

"Take the lift Sir, fifth floor down. Last door on the left." JARVIS said as he started walking towards the elevator. The uptight brunette looked peeved but remained at her desk.

"Sir, I suggest you wait for an agent to escort you as you will need level 7 clearance in order to use that elevator." She said.

"It's cute that you think that." Tony called back to her as he got in the elevator and had JARVIS force it to take him to the correct floor. He arrived at the door and entered without knocking.

"Fury long time, no see?" Tony joked, taking a seat in front of Fury's desk.

"Stark, ever heard of protocol?" Fury asked with a glare over his folded hands.

"Nope, what's that? Anyways, I took care of the WSC problem, now they're off both our asses." Tony said, taking a pen off Fury's desk and twirling it. Proving that he was not afraid to touch Fury's things without asking.

"And I suppose you want a pat on the head for that?" Fury said condescendingly. Tony looked up at him, stopping his pen fiddling.

"They were a corrupt bunch of power mad crazies! They've been causing more deaths than Loki ever did!" Tony declared.

"And your point?" Fury said with an eyebrow arched over his eye.

"My point is I expected a little gratitude for taking those bastards out of the game!" Tony yelled.

"Good boy. Happy now?" Fury asked mockingly. Tony stuffed the pain at the words deeply inside himself. He knew it had been a bad idea to talk to Fury again. He hadn't even seen the man since the debriefing incident. Luckily not having to run into him when he did the Helicarrier upgrades weeks ago.

"I thought you were the one who wanted to talk?" Tony said quietly.

"I did." Fury admitted. "But not about the council, well not precisely about them." He finished. Tony looked at him considering.

"Then what precisely?" Tony asked.

"Now that the Council been cut out of the picture there has been a power vacuum taking up its place." Fury explained. Tony thought about that for a moment and then leaned forward.

"A vacuum you intend to fill I assume." Tony said. Fury nods. Tony's eyes widened at the implications. "You can't be serious, you want to be the next Council of Doom? And you don't think that's a bad idea- Wait. You knew about this didn't you? You used me as a cat's paw to get rid of the Council for you. It's what you wanted all along!" Tony said, appalled.

"And for a self admitted genius, you were surprisingly easy to manipulate into doing just that." Fury said. He got up and began pacing his office. "Didn't it occur to you to wonder at how easy it was to keep your nosy A.I. buried in our systems? Didn't you find it at all suspicious that I had cameras set up in my own private office? This is a secret organization after all."

"If all this is true, if I've been set up since the beginning. They why are you telling me all this? What exactly are your plans Fury?" Tony asked, hurt and anger boiling in his stomach.

"My plans are none of your business. However I am telling you because now that the WSC has been dealt with, you can engage again with the Avengers."

"Engage?" Tony asked pointedly.

"They've separated, been scattered around the world and beyond it, I want you to bring them together. As they _will_ be needed again." Fury declared.

"Know something I don't?" Tony asked.

"The world's getting stranger, the WSC was more a hindrance than you knew, the Earth needs to be prepared for the next fight. And mark my words there will be a next fight. But we need the Avengers, and you are the only one who could bring them together." Fury stated.

"Why me?" Tony asked.

"You've got the space, the pushiness, and the location. And don't think I didn't know that this is what you wanted. I'm aware of the renovations you've got underway in that tower of yours. You were going to do this anyway." Fury said, taking his seat behind his desk once more. Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe so, but why the rush?" Tony asked.

"I'm sick of hearing Barton crawling through my walls and stealing from the vending machines. It's like living with a fucking raccoon." Fury said, annoyance tingeing his voice.

"And what else?" Tony asked.

"What do you mean what else?"

"A rodent infestation can't be your only reasoning. Stop fucking toying with me, and tell me what else is there!?" Tony demanded. Fury smiled for the first time since Tony entered the office and it was completely without humor.

"You're learning. Alright, I'll tell you, better yet I'll show you." Fury said, leaving his office and gesturing Tony to follow him down to the eighth floor.

He left the New York SHEILD office two hours latter. Tony's heart was far heavier than when he'd entered, the ache of his recent surgery aside, his mind trying to work out the solutions to a very complex problem. It turns out that Fury was right. The Avengers needed to be brought together and be on hand. Because this foe, was something he couldn't fight, not alone. And he had to keep its existence a secret. He sucked at keeping secrets. But for now it was necessary, Fury had convinced him of that; they were in for a long game. Unfortunately he couldn't help but feel that even with all the Avengers combined they still might not be enough to win. But he would work to try to bring them all together again. Tony tried not to smile at the prospect. After all he shouldn't be happy that the world was going to burn, whatever the perks.

(2.1m)abny

"Um…yeah, pretty sure that this is a bad idea actually, a really, really bad idea." Dr. Bruce Banner insisted yet again. He held his arms stiffly at his sides, the black boxing gloves hiding the clenching and unclenching of his fists. He wasn't angry, well no more than usual, but he _was_ frustrated.

"What are you even talking about? You totally need to let loose big guy, and I could use the practice, I need to get back in shape, since the operation you know? I'm back in the saddle baby, lets go, I'm ready, I'm ready, I do not watch SpongeBob, yep totally don't, that's my line and I'm sticking to it." Tony Stark, snark extraordinaire danced back and forth on his side of the boxing ring, his nervous energy barely restrained, almost contagious. Bruce resisted the contagion as he shook his head, his newly cut hair not flopping around for once. He wore jeans and a plain button up white shirt. Tony wore a ragged Iron Maiden black hoodie, sweats and red gloves. Bruce hadn't been around Tony Stark all that long, but he could already tell that when it came to fashion, in spite of his money, the man preferred to slum it whenever possible. He tried not to think too hard about the reasons why he'd seen Tony so seldom over the last couple of months. Of course, he had been occupied with that whole Extremis thing, and Bruce had been busy also, working in the new lab Stark had lent him, he worked on finding cures for some of the diseases he had discovered in his wanderings but hadn't had the ability or tech to do more than treat the symptoms. It was good work and while he was not necessarily happy, he was pleased. The Other guy hadn't made a peep since The Battle, luckily. He was so not looking forward to breaking Manhattan, it had been broken enough as it was.

He starred at the perplexing man across from him. Tony Stark, weaving back and forth across the ring, shadow boxing with himself. Almost directly after inviting Bruce to stay at his tower, which was still being refurbished, he'd swanned off to Malibu for two months. At the time he'd claimed he didn't like the harsh winters in the City. Bruce didn't know if that was true or not, it was difficult to tell when Stark was lying or just not saying the whole truth. After he'd left, they'd communicated by Skype occasionally, Stark asking how he was, if he was enjoying the new lab, the accommodations, the record snowfalls, which he was, maybe not the snow but everything else, immensely so.

Over the years he'd become accustomed to sleeping with the dirt, bugs and various elements, always hiding, always on the run, never safe. Just sleeping in a bed had become a privilege, and he was grateful, of course he was, but he had imagined from Tony's invitation that the billionaire would be there with him, watching, monitoring, studying his every move. Instead after Tony's sudden collapse and recovery, he'd been abandoned to his own devises. He'd walked out of the building a few times just to see if he could, _as if anyone could stop him_, but no one even tried, and no one followed him, he'd know if they had. It seemed Fury was as good as his word. He was in the wind; he could leave whenever he wished, go wherever he wished. But he stayed, he stayed because he was a scientist first and foremost _and_ he grudgingly admitted the lab _was_ nice, plus he was curious. He couldn't figure out why the billionaire had bothered inviting him in the first place. He had thought it might have been to collect him, contain him, to add him as an asset, and shiny new plaything to Stark Industries, maybe even to experiment on him. But he had seen no sign of these things. Surely if he wanted him here just because the man wanted to talk science, as he put it, with someone who could speak his language, he could have found someone else to do so with, someone far, far safer. Reed Richards for instance. So why, why did he want _him_ here of all people? He could not for the life of him figure it out. And the strangest thing of all, the man was not afraid of him, he knew that in his bones, he was much too acquainted with fear not to know its signs. He could admit in the quiet of his own mind that the lack of fear _intrigued_ him and made the anger he always held on to lessen a tad, the roar lessening to a questioning rumble. Tony Stark was an enigma wrapped in a pretzel, with extra sprinkles on top. _He'd been hanging out with the billionaire for far too long if his speech patterns were starting to rub off on him._ He could feel the alarm starting to ring in his ears. _Time to go Banner, time to run..._ He squashed it down viciously.

Now that Tony's Malibu house had been destroyed, he'd flown back to Manhattan to live in the tower's upper floors with him. It was a little awkward, more than a little awkward if he was honest. Tony gave eccentricity new meanings; he worked odd hours in his workshop, hardly ate meals with him, talked at supersonic speeds constantly, and strangest of all, acted like they were the best of friends, just like he had after the battle for New York. Stark had only installed himself in the tower barely a week ago and already they'd had two minor explosions, the last of which necessitated Bruce to get a haircut to even out his burnt hair, he was surprised the Other Guy hadn't shown up, Tony was, predictably, disappointed. They had also had several 'therapy' sessions. Which he was pretty sure was just a put on by Tony to mess with his head. Needless to say, it worked. Bruce noticed Tony slug one of his thick green health drinks before he began stretching on the rubber ropes, limbering up for their fight. Bruce tried once again to change Tony's mind about trying to box with him.

"Yeah, letting loose, not actually a good thing for me, you know that." Bruce said. Tony stilled himself for a moment and cocked his head at him.

"All I know is that you're going to learn how to box, and I'm going to get some exercise, win-win for all concerned, yay!" Stark said as he punched the air. Bruce moved back to the edge of the ring and put his hands behind him on the rope, trying to figure out how he got talked into getting into the ring in the first place, he was pretty sure it was some form of Tony-hypnotism, which he had become familiar with during the past week, and was probably why he had accepted his invitation to come live here in the first place.

"This is definitely not win-win. Why would I want to learn how to box, the Other Guy can beat to a pulp anything…or anyone he comes across." Bruce said sadly.

"Puny Gods included." Stark added with a cheeky grin. Bruce refused to smile in return, even though he had watched JARVIS' recording of Hulk beating Loki into the floor with amusement. "Still, learning new things, totally a good thing, and it will be fun, you need fun, lots and lots of fun, and blueberries." Stark said quickly, his words jumping over themselves to abandon his mouth. Bruce glanced over.

"Blueberries?" He asked, and then shook his head again. "Never mind, I don't really want to know, how about I go back to the lab, and you can test out that new punching bag you designed for Rogers' instead." Stark moved up to him and put his glove on his shoulder. Bruce tried not to flinch, not used to people casually touching him. Only Tony would dare to touch him like that without the slightest hesitation. It was just another thing about Tony Stark that made him unique. Tony's lighthearted voice slowly turned serious as he spoke.

"First of all I didn't make them for Cap, though I have to wonder about his penchant for ripping the poor defenseless bags apart, I mean what did they do to him? Anyways, Fury bitched that SHEILD was going into financial ruin trying to replace a ridiculous amount of the damned things and insisted I solve the problem. Who knew he was such a drama queen? Oh yeah, I _totally_ did. And finally, secondly, no way buddy, you've been hiding out in that lab for the past two months, you need some air, your looking a little..."

"Green?" Bruce supplied with a wince.

"Pale, I was going to say pale, smart guy." Tony said with his trademarked smile while thumping his arm with a glove for good measure.

"I wasn't hiding, I was working, important time-sensitive work that I really should be getting back to, and we are still inside Stark Tower, so how much air am I really getting?" Bruce pointed out obstinately. The boxing ring was located on the 80th floor.

"Its _Avenger_ Tower, you did notice the giant A on the building right? And its _different_ air, and all of it in the tower is circulated and pumped fresh from the roof, lots and lots of large vents, do you think Clint likes vents? I think he likes vents, seems like a venty kind of guy." Bruce was confused by the non sequitur.

"Clint?" Bruce asked wondering who that was and why he would like vents of all things.

"Yeah, also called Hawkeye, you know, the assassin with the arrows who was controlled by Loki, but is now on our side and may or may not have a thing with Black Widow, I'm leaning toward may, but I am currently taking bets." Tony supplied the name of the Avenger who had fought with them. He then rubbed a hand through his hair, mussing up his already mussed hair, his eyes unmistakably shadowed underneath as he continued. "Anyways its 32 percent cleaner than the _outside_ air actually, totally smog free-but that isn't the point, stop distracting me, and don't think I don't know that that is what you were doing. Now come on put up your dukes." Tony moved away and raised his arms in a traditional boxer's stance. Bruce gave it one more shot.

"Say you hit me, I go…green, then what?" He asked tentatively. Tony sighed dramatically.

"Jarvis?" He asked, his eyes staring in the middle distance. The A.I.'s voice appeared from thin air. Bruce was long used to Jarvis after having been around him for the past months. He didn't startle as the dry British voice answered Tony's question.

"Yes sir, I've got the prototype Mark 43 ready to deploy in case the Hulk needs to be engaged." Tony nodded, his point proven.

"There you see? If anything happens, I'll just put Hulk through his paces and test out my totally awesome new suit at the same time, two birds, and one mighty stone. You do know that he saved my life though right, like twice, and…New York?" Tony asked. Bruce never remembered much of what happened when he was the Other Guy, but he found it hard to believe that the monster had been that helpful, despite the evidence to the contrary. But he was a scientist and empirical evidence was his bible, so he supposed the Other Guy _had_ been useful for once. But that wasn't to say that he wouldn't go wild the next time he emerged.

"So you say." Bruce said sighing.

"I was there. I know what happened, and you have hundreds of shaky phone vids on YouTube to prove it. Hulk is not a monster, not really, and neither are you." Tony said earnestly, seeming to read his mind as his brown eyes tried to burrow into his. Bruce looked aside uncomfortably as he pointed down at the boxing ring with his glove.

"Whatever you say. But this, this is a bad idea, Tony." He said.

"Well Brucie, just so you know for future reference and all, me having bad ideas, not a new thing. Alrighty then Jarv play some awesome fighty tunes for our epic battle." Eye Of The Tiger began blaring out over the speakers. Tony looked up in horror. "Oh no, no, no, Jarvis, don't you dare! We do not do Rocky clichés, hell no, fix it!" The song ended abruptly and then ACDC's TNT began playing and Tony flashed a smile and readied his fists. "That's _much_ better, ready or not, here I come. Aaand yeah I'm never saying that again." Tony finished with a wide grin as he danced up to him and threw a fast punch with his right glove. Bruce dodged the hit falling back into the rope.

"Slowly!" Bruce shouted over the music, hoping he didn't suddenly see green. Tony backed up a bit.

"Slow as paste. Just remember, keep your arms up, and it's all about the footwork." Tony said as he moved his feet to show how it was done, and stumbled slightly. Tony shook his head at himself and pretended nothing had happened resuming his fighting stance.

"Perhaps Dr. Banner would benefit from having a professional coach him in the ways of boxing." Jarvis suddenly spoke up, his voice displaying the same acerbity as his creator.

"Awe, Jarvis, I'm hurt, I am professional-ish enough-ish." Tony said, smiling. "Anyways Bruce thinks I'm cool don't ya Bruce?" He said while looking at Banner mock hopefully.

"Yeah, coolest guy ever." Bruce said rolling his eyes.

"Sarcasm does not suit you, and you need to work on better comebacks." Tony said right before he threw another jab, that Bruce failed to block. The blow hit his chest, hard, but not hard enough to hurt. Bruce looked up; surprised that Tony had actually hit him.

"Hey!" Bruce said clutching at his chest. Tony ignored him and danced back a step, grinning.

"Foot work! Float like a butterfly, sting like a non-extinct bee." Tony sing-songed at him.

"I thought, um, that guy, uh, Happy was your go to guy for boxing. Didn't you tell me that?" Bruce questioned haltingly while moving over to the other side of the ring, keeping his arms up in case Tony went for him again. Tony's smile abruptly faltered and then resumed.

"Yeah. He's with Pep down in Cali., all ship and shape from his run in with a human bomb. Can't bring him up here every time I want to go for a round though can I? Well I can, but I won't…probably. Anyways come on, throw a punch, and don't pull it either, you know I'm not." Banner signed, resigned.

"That's part of the problem…"

JARVIS observed the playful match and banter between his creator and the man Sir had invited wholeheartedly into his house and life. He'd rarely seen Sir so happy in the company of another human, the exception of course, being Ms. Potts and Col. Rhodes. JARVIS had been gifted with the ability to work through complex problems, and come to his own conclusions. He thought that this positive human interaction would be good for Sir. He had spent a lot of time observing Dr. Banner and found him intelligent and agreeable. But the man seemed not to understand Sir, like so many others. JARVIS rescanned both of the men again, reassuring himself that Dr. Banner's alter ego would not soon make an appearance, and studying the strain measured in Sir's body. He was still recovering from the surgery; the removal of shrapnel and the majority of the arc reactor still healing and straining his body. He had cautioned against Sir being this physically active so soon. Sir had unsurprisingly, disagreed, which was why all he could do for him was observe his statistics and hope to persuade him to rest tonight. Sir had not slept for 34 hours, 43 minutes. It was not unusual, but Sir was still recovering. Therefore JARVIS would watch and wait, and hope that Dr. Banner would be a help to Sir's physical and mental wellbeing.

(2.1m)abny

Clint noticed a paper magically being slipped through a slit in the screen in front of him. He crawled forward silently and picked it up, finding it to be a letter. He squinted at the envelope by the faint light coming through the screen and read.

Dear Agent Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye

The ventilation system in the SHEILD Helicarrier

Airspace of Long Island

Barton shook his head bemusedly, noticing the giant red wax seal with the imprint of a hawk and opened the letter. Catching a keycard as it slipped out. He glanced at it for a moment before reading the letter typed on crisp expensive paper.

Dear, Hawkeye

You are cordially invited to live at Avenger Tower located in Manhattan, New York, floor 85. Feel free to bring any belongings you wish. If you have any accommodation requirements or questions feel free to forward them to the above address. We sincerely await your arrival.

P.S. I have way better snacks than a SHIELD vending machine.

Truly Yours, Tony Stark


	4. Chapter 4

(2.1m)abny

Bruce Banner stumbled after an overly excited Tony Stark to the penthouse's elevator. Not for the first time, Bruce wondered if the man had ever heard of the phrase, decent night's sleep. Even living rough, Bruce still managed to get his eight. Provided no one was chasing after him that is. Still, being awoken by a bright-eyed Tony Stark at 5am after getting to bed just after 1am was messing with his rhythms. He recalled Tony bending over him in the dim room, waking him abruptly, which was so very not helpful for various reasons. "Hey Brucie, buddy, you've got to see this, It's finally finished!" Bruce blinked up at Tony's face, struggling out of his nightmares.

"Wha-, Tony?" Tony tapped his nose annoyingly.

"Come on, wakey wakey, you are going to love this!" Bruce swiped Tony's hand away and rubbed his face.

"What time is it?" Bruce asked tiredly.

"It is 4:13am Dr. Banner." The A.I.'s voice replied.

"Thank you JARVIS." Bruce said. Tony gripped his arm and pulled.

"Come on Bruce." Tony insisted. Bruce winced at Tony's eagerness this early in the morning.

"Ok Tony, ok, I'm coming." Tony resisted making the obvious joke as he led Bruce in his PJ's to his awesome surprise. Bruce sighed and let himself be pulled along behind Tony, he'd almost think the genius was on something, except from what he'd seen of him; he was _always_ like this. Jumping around like an ADD squirrel on crack, a bit like that Ice Age rodent actually. Tony hummed the song Black Betty under his breath as he drummed on the railings behind him on the elevator. The doors abruptly opened after traveling down for a few minutes, and Bruce followed the enthusiastic billionaire down a very wide and tall hallway leading to a huge reinforced door. Tony explained that a hybrid mixture of vibranium and adamantium bolstered this entire floor; creating a new alloy that he had taken to calling starkanium. Tony smirked and pointed to a scanner in the door.

"Alright place your hand right here." Bruce had a seeking feeling that he knew what was going on. It was only a matter of time after all, before Stark began treating him like the monster he was. Bruce with a heavy heart placed his hand on the door. Which sprung open at his touch having scanned the unique veins in his hand and the blood pumping through them. The smell of fresh paint and lacquer struck him first. Then he saw the rest of the room. It was a huge open space, everything from the solid looking couches, to the tables, the fridge, and flat screens were oversized. There were large doors leading to other parts of the floor. A giant piñata Jack Sparrow with an eye patch hung in a corner, swinging gently. Soft lighting lit up the incredibly plush carpeting. A line of thick reinforced windows overlooked the city on opposite sides of the room. Tony moved closer to him tracking the shifting expressions on his face. "So what do you think? You haven't even seen the bedroom, and there's a pool too!" Bruce shook his head slowly.

"I've lived here for over two months and I never noticed this being built." Bruce said faintly. Tony smiled brightly.

"I know, I used ninja builders, well not actual ninja builders but they _are_ quiet. I can still change whatever either of you want or anything, I mean yeah I used a brick motif for the paint job, that might have been a bad choice, but we could go with any colors you want, or any furnishings-" Bruce interrupted Tony's babbling.

"Tony, stop." Tony stopped his shoulders drooping at his tone.

"What?" Tony asked in a small voice. Bruce wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the other guy in.

"It's, it's a nice _cage_ Tony." Bruce spoke in a strangled voice. Tony eyes locked on him.

"A what? A cage?" Tony asked incredulous. Bruce backed away, trying to hold himself together. Sickened that he had been right all along. Tony Stark was the same as everyone else. _No different than Ross_.

"I'm done, I'm going to go pack my things." Bruce said calmly, turning to go back to the penthouse. Tony reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Wait Bruce!" Tony yelled desperately. Bruce snapped and swung the genius into the wall and trapped him with his hands on either side of the smaller man as his eyes glowed an incandescent green.

"What!? What do you want from me!?" Bruce bellowed. Tony still didn't smell of fear, but his eyes were wide and he trembled, almost imperceptibly to any eyes but his own.

"Just hear me out kay? Please, just hear me out at least." Tony pleaded. The lack of fear was what convinced him, that and the indescribable emotion in the man's eyes that he couldn't read but it hurt him to see.

"I'm listening, but I told you, and I told Fury, I don't do cages, no matter how comfortable they are." Bruce snapped coldly as he moved back from the man and gave him some space. Tony lifted his hands, placating and then ran them through his hair.

"Ok listen, maybe I didn't think this through. But I just thought it would be cool if Hulk had a floor of his own, I mean I made you one too, you know? I'm still working on it actually, but I just thought you'd both feel better if you could let him out once in a while to just hang, ya know, and relax? He can totally mess around in here, there is even a sort of exercise slash playroom that he can jump around and smash things in if he wanted. Yeah… this was a bad idea wasn't it? I told you before that bad ideas aren't a new thing for me." Tony finished lamely. Bruce huffed a breath and calmed down a little.

"Tony, I… I know what your trying to do, but this door has a lock on it doesn't it." Bruce said sadly.

"For your safety, but Hulk can get out when ever he wants. See the scanner on this end; it would open for either Hulk or you." Tony's voice grew softer. "It's not much of a cage if you've got the key." Bruce glanced at the door and noticed the large scanner on this side, large enough for the Other Guy's hand. Bruce's eyes returned to their normal brown and he shifted uncomfortably, feeling bad about how he had acted and how close he had come to losing control.

"…Thank you, Tony. I don't know if I would ever use it, it's too dangerous. It, it wouldn't be safe, but it's…a nice thought. I'm sorry I misunderstood." Tony waved a hand dismissively, grinning.

"Don't worry about it, considering what you've been through, I probably shouldn't have sprung it on you like that, my bad." Bruce shook his head.

"No its my fault- wait- did you say you had designed me a floor as well?" Bruce asked thinking back to what Tony had said. Tony smiled tentatively.

"Well I couldn't have you sleeping on my floor forever, could I? Well I could, of course I could, but it would make me bringing bedmates over kinda awkward, unless you wanted to join in or something, which I'm totally up for by the bi, pun boldly underlined. Brains are the new sexy, oh look a new, new bumper sticker! Or maybe that's too zombie." Bruce ignored Tony's banter, and frowned.

"A whole floor for me? Tony that's too much."

"No it really isn't, I should have had it finished weeks ago, but I was busy with, you know, stuff, so I didn't have time to focus on it until now. It'll be done by Friday, unless you don't want to wait. It's just the final touches on the lab that need to be done, then it's all yours." Tony said.

"A lab? My own lab." Bruce said slowly.

"All yours to blow up at your own discretion, no more sharing with the R & D department, they were getting a bit miffed at the explosions, but they needed to be kept on their toes anyways." Tony said, smiling.

"Tony, that's, all that's wasted on me." Bruce said.

"No it isn't. You're awesome Banner, you deserve awesome things." Tony said.

"I don't, I really don't, I'm a m- murderer." _Monster_, Bruce thought. Tony gestured to himself.

"Yeah, Merchant of Death here, stones and glass houses and all. But Hulk only ever hurt people in self-defense or by accident. I can't make any such claims, yet I have tons of awesome stuff, you don't see me depriving myself." Tony said.

"Tony." Bruce said in exasperation.

"Brucie." Tony mimicked back and then shrugged. "Just accept it. I've already built it; I'd be rude to turn it down now. I have more than enough space and money to throw around anyways."

"I…Thanks Tony."

"Anytime Big Guy, anytime." Tony said and put his arm around the other man to lead them both back up to the penthouse.

After dropping Bruce off at his bedroom, Tony swiftly left for his workshop. He had JARVIS lock everything down, blacking out the windows and glass doors. As he entered he was immediately surrounded by his bots, DUM-E, Butterfingers, and new You. He patted them each on the head, taking a suspicious shake from DUM-E, and not drinking it as he headed towards the comfy couch at the end of the shop. He collapsed into it, placing the drink on the end table as he began to shake in earnest. New You brought over a ragged afghan and tossed it on his knees. JARVIS dimmed the lights and began to quietly project an old movie on the wall in front of him. Butterfingers rested his head on his knee gently; trying to offer what comfort he could, while Tony quietly shook. JARVIS didn't ask what was wrong, he knew. Tony curled himself on his side, staring at Basil Rathbone acting like a German bookseller. The black and white flickering of the familiar slowly calmed him; he shut his eyes and tried to sleep. He gave up an hour later and began work on a portable container for the Mark 43, the blue holos and his bots surrounding him as he clutched the blanket to himself.

(2.2m)abny

Clint Barton didn't know what to think about the offer he had gotten from Stark. He'd approached Fury with the letter a few days later, thinking it was some kind of joke. He had been promptly informed to get the fuck off this fucking ship and get his ass over to the Tower like yesterday. Barton didn't argue. He left a coded message for Natasha, who he hadn't seen in almost two months, packed his few things in a duffel and was dropped off at Manhattan by Agent Sitwell. Sitwell was one of the few agents who hadn't treated him differently since the whole Loki incident. After landing Sitwell turned in his seat and shook hands with him, gripping his wrist. "Good luck to you."

"I'm sure I'll need all the luck I can get. Thanks though." He said sincerely. Sitwell nodded and Barton left the quinjet. Sitwell strongly reminded him of Coulson, he was much more than he seemed, and a good agent. Barton was glad that he had survived the invasion. He slung his duffle over his shoulder and headed for the most ostentatious building in Manhattan, semi hoping that this was all a sick joke after all. He was not looking forward to living on Stark's dime for who knew what reasons, but he hated being in the Helicarrier even more, useless, grounded from missions, avoiding everyone, but still feeling their loathing like a collective fist to the gut. It had all taken a turn for the worse since Natasha had left for her mysterious mission. Living with Stark couldn't be worse than all that. It just couldn't.


	5. Chapter 5

(2.2m)abny

Tony prodded at an Erienmeyer flask that rested on a steel table, cooling in Bruce's new state of the art, made just for him, lab. Bruce sat next to him with a small smile on his face as he entered in measurements into his Starkpro laptop. "Sirs, Agent Barton of SHIELD is currently loitering in the lobby." JARVIS said. Bruce looked up in relative alarm as Tony muttered to himself.

"Took him long enough, Fury must have set a fire under his ass." In a more audible tone, Tony said, "Send him on up, J." Bruce transferred his alarming gaze to Tony.

"Yes, sir." JARVIS answered. Tony met Bruce's concerned eyes with his own calm ones.

"You wanna greet him with me, Bruce?" Bruce tilted his head ponderingly.

"You invited him here?" Bruce asked. Tony looked momentarily confused.

"Of course I did, why-" Tony checked himself realizing what Bruce's problem was. "He's not here for you, Bruce, you're safe here; you do know that right?" Tony asked him worriedly.

"…Yeah. I know that." Bruce hesitantly replied. Bruce wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Tony of that or himself. Tony pretended he hadn't heard the hesitation.

"As he is an Avenger and this is Avenger Tower and all, and he was basically homeless, unless you count the vents at SHIELD a home, I invited him to live here. I probably should have given you more of a heads up. Anyways do you want to come say Hi?" Tony asked almost skipping on his way out of the lab. Bruce lowered his eyes to the laptop in front of him.

"I'll just stay up here, lots of Science to do..." Bruce trailed off. Tony nodded.

"Well I'm more than enough of a welcome wagon for anyone and as excuses go, Science is a good one, the best one actually." Bruce smiled weakly at him. Tony grinned back. "At least you're enjoying the new lab." Tony added, gesturing at the science bubbling all around them. Bruce smiled more openly.

"It's a very nice lab Tony, very nice, thank you. This entire floor is beyond breath taking. I can't imagine how much this all must have cost or how much effort it must have taken." Bruce finished, embarrassed.

"I told you, don't worry about it, I'll see you later kay?" Tony said airily turning to leave the lab through the sliding doors.

"See you, Tony." Bruce said quietly before returning to his work and trying not to focus on how nervous he was about the idea of living cheek to jowl with a government agent.

Tony Stark met Clint Barton at the entrance to the elevator on Bruce's floor. He entered the elevator, which immediately closed and began heading back down to Clint's new floor. The agent's eyes were even more shadowed and weary than the last time he had seen him. The fellow looked paler and seemed to have lost some weight as well. Barton wore a solid black T with an unbuttoned blue jean jacket and black jeans. He carried a large green duffle behind one shoulder. "Hey Barton!" Tony greeted him enthusiastically with a wave almost in his face.

"Stark." Barton greeted back with a cautious nod. The elevator opened and Tony exited with Clint following. Tony gestured at the common room in front of them and pointed in various directions.

"Welcome to Avenger Tower, whopping willow that way, sorting hat this way, and watch out for the staircases, they like to move." Tony concluded seriously. Barton rolled his eyes.

"Right…" Clint said. Tony turned back and his eyes rested on the duffle behind his back.

"So…do you have movers coming by with the rest of your stuff?" Stark asked. Clint shifted his bundle awkwardly.

"This is it." He said. Tony stared.

"Just a duffle?" Tony asked, incredulous. Clint glared defensively.

"Yeah, is that a problem Stark?" He growled. Tony shrugged nonchalantly and smirked.

"Still touchy I see. Not a problem, no, just kinda sad. So where's your bow, Loxley, I figured you even showered with that thing." Tony said, leaning to look behind Clint's shoulder, wondering if it could fit in that duffle of his somehow. Clint's expression if anything darkened further.

"It was confiscated." He said stiffly. Stark's mouth opened, momentarily shocked into silence, and then snapped closed.

"Oh. Loki. Right. Well that's just stupid." Tony said. Clint snorted.

"Tell that to the quacks at SHIELD psych." Barton said. Tony nodded.

"Maybe I will." Clint walked further into the flat, eyes cataloguing every detail, automatically searching out all possible entrances, exits, and defensible positions.

"Which is my room?" Barton questioned.

"Uhhh, all of them?" Tony said. Barton spun around swiftly.

"All of them? You mean this _whole_ floor?" He asked.

"Yeah. Is that a problem Barton?" Tony retorted, throwing his previous words back at him. Barton's eyes narrowed.

"Why?" Hawkeye asked. Tony folded his arms in front of himself.

"What do you mean why?" Barton gestured sharply at the well-appointed apartment around them.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. Tony shrugged.

"Fury was sick of you living in his walls, it was driving him nuts." Barton nodded slowly.

"So Fury ordered you to lodge me here?" Tony laughed.

"Ha, I'd like to see him try, don't you know your third amendment? I thought you were a government agent, tsk, tsk. Anyways, Fury asked, and I said, what the hell." Tony said. Barton thought for a second and then nodded once more, his eyes clearing.

"Ah, I see now." Tony frowned momentarily and then pulled out his flashbulb grin.

"You do? Well great, fantastic, so should I make room for Widow in here or what?" He asked with a leer. Barton ignored the look.

"Black Widow? She'll be living here too?" He queried.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if you two would be sharing a bed or-"

"_Don't_ finish that sentence if you like breathing." Barton interrupted, his face cold and emotionless. Tony hid his shudder and brought out his snark as he backed away toward the elevator.

"Breathing _is_ nice. Sooo separate floors then, got it, well, I'm sure you can finish the rest of the tour on your own. I've got stuff to be doing, serious stuff, time-sensitive, important…stuff; I'll see you around. Adios." Tony said with a wave as he backed inside his elevator and it slid closed in front of him. Tony sunk to the floor and sat against the wall as the elevator rose back up to his workshop. "Maybe I'm making a mistake J. I don't think I can bring these people together. Bruce is a self-loathing shut-in, who just does not see how awesome he is. Barton is totally unstable, even _I_ can see that, and what does that tell you? Widow scares the life out of me. Captain America is still a self-righteous dick, who thinks Howard's a god. Thor, an actual god, is an alien who lives in another fucking world. And I'm the most fucked up of all. There is no way this is going to work. Why did I think this could work?" Tony had his knees pulled up to his chest as he gripped his head in his hands.

"Sir! I believe in you. I believe that you can do this." JARVIS insisted, his tone as warm as he could make it. Tony raised his head, and looked towards the eye cam in the wall beside him.

"Do you J? Really? Then how, how do I do this?" Tony asked desperately.

"Don't give up, do what you always do Sir, keep fighting. You'll figure it out, you always do." JARVIS responded calmly. Tony took that in and smiled. At least one person would never give up on him, even if that person didn't actually posses a body.

"…You're right, J. You always are. I'm Tony _fucking_ Stark. It's time I started acting like it."

"Yes, Sir." JARVIS, agreed happily.

(2.2m)abny

"Bruuuce, lets have dinner." Tony pled, eyes wide and begging. Bruce looked up from the article he was reading, glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them up and shrugged, smiling at Tony's expression.

"Sure, what do you want?" Tony rolled his eyes and flopped down on the couch beside him.

"Uh, food, duh." Tony said.

"What kind of food?" Banner asked, exasperated.

"The edible kind." Tony replied snippily. Bruce put down the scientific journal and fiddled with his glasses.

"Okaay, how about something homemade?" Bruce suggested nervously.

"You can cook?" Tony asked.

"…Yes." Bruce responded warily. Tony groaned dramatically.

"Why didn't you tell me Brucie, why would you keep that from me, I thought we were science bros, how could you!?" Bruce shied away from Tony's overloud voice.

"Ugh, so how about I make…something?" Tony nodded earnestly and grasped his shoulder.

"Yes, make it now, what do you need, we could go on a shopping trip, or ask JARVIS to get supplies delivered. Whatever you want Bruciebear, name it. Just FEED me!" He finished Little Shop Of Horror style. Bruce for once didn't mini-flinch away from Stark's hand on him. Tony took that as a win.

"Um…I'd like to go out and get the ingredients, if you don't mind?" Bruce asked tentatively.

"Of course I don't mind. Why would I mind? Let's go, I'll get the Jag ready."

"Alright, sounds good." Bruce said as Tony almost ran to the parking garage. Bruce leaving the Tower counted as another win. Tony hoped he could earn some more wins before the day was out, like Bruce talking to another person besides himself or JARVIS. Neither he nor Bruce had seen any sign of the archer since he had moved in yesterday. However he had it on good authority, JARVIS, that the man had already found his way into the bowels of the Tower's ventilation system. He decided not to tell Bruce about that. The guy was nervous enough about having the assassin here without telling him that he was spying on them and could drop down from a grate at any time or place.

Tony drove the Jaguar up and out of the underground lot with Banner beside him. Tony wore sunglasses, a Welcome to Nightvale T-shirt and ragged jeans. Banner wore his usual, a buttoned long sleeved white shirt and slacks. As Tony drove through the streets, he stole glances at Bruce. "So where are we headed? Somewhere specific?" Bruce considered.

"Where's the nearest farmer's market?" He asked.

"Jarv?" Tony inquired. The A.I.'s voice sounded from the car's speakers.

"82nd street, Sir." Tony followed the onscreen directions.

"82nd it is then." Tony had JARVIS blare Dear Prudence in the car. As the song played, Bruce chuckled.

"Subtle, Tony, real subtle." Tony gave him a bland expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Jolly Rancher." Bruce's shoulders hunched in on themselves, his good mood souring.

"I get it. I've been a bit of hermit of late. But can you blame me? There are just too many people out here that I could hurt." Bruce said.

"I keep telling you. Hulk is not a danger." Tony asserted.

"I don't know how you can say that! Do you know how many people the Other Guy- I-have killed? I broke Harlem, Tony; I don't want to break Manhattan too. I destroyed almost as much property as the Chitauri did during the invasion." Bruce croaked out.

"Bruce, _Bruce_. Without you the invasion might very well have succeeded, certainly more people would have been killed, me included. Hulk is a good guy and so are you. I wish you would stop doubting that. And I've killed way more people than Hulk ever did and for worse reasons." Stark concluded with an unreadable expression, his hands tightening on the wheel. Bruce reached towards him, but didn't touch him.

"Tony?" He asked worriedly. Tony shook his head.

"Lets just get some foodstuffs, okay?" He said. Bruce turned his head to look out the window.

"Yeah." Banner agreed.

Tony had just finished Bruce's chicken and artichoke casserole with a snap pea salad. It was one of the best meals he had ever had. Tony rubbed his stomach, pushing his empty plate away. "You sir, are a god!" Bruce blushed.

"It wasn't all that special…" Bruce said.

"Are you kidding me? That was fucking ambrosia! Can you cook every day for the rest of my life, please? And I don't say please to just anyone, you know." Tony said. Bruce rubbed his hands together.

"How about some ratatouille and molten chocolate cake for tomorrow?" He asked. Tony moaned indecently as his head tilted back.

"Oh yes, yes Bruce, yes, more, oh!" Bruce ducked his head and his a smile.

"Do you know what you sound like?" Bruce asked. Tony shot up and began putting dishes into the washer.

"Your food is orgasmic Brucie, better than sex, and for me that's saying something." Bruce laughed, and Tony tried not to punch the air in delight.

"Thanks Tony." Counting the in depth conversation Bruce had had with a friendly merchant at the market about the new cubed watermelons, a grand total of four wins for the day, not bad, not bad at all.

As Tony began leaving Bruce's flat he stopped by a nearby vent and said softly, "I see you in there, Hood. If you like what you see so much, why don't you join the party, there's still some food left you know?" Tony heard a slight shuffling sound as if a body was steadily moving away and back down the shaft. Tony shrugged and continued to his own suite. He couldn't win every battle now could he? The war on the other hand, was well underway, and that he would win. He had to after all. The world depended on him getting the Avengers turned into a proper team. And he would do so; he just hoped it didn't end up being too late to matter.


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Banner tossed and turned in his bed. He eventually arose to go fetch himself some juice before going back to work in his lab. His lab, he liked the sound of it. In fact he liked everything about his new apartment. Tony had given him everything without asking anything in return, apart from wanting him to accept the Other Guy as a part of him, as a positive part of him. Unfortunately he wasn't sure he would ever be able to give Tony that. He determined to make sure the other man had one good meal a day though; he could at least give him that. He smiled in remembered pleasure at how much Tony had appreciated his cooking. He stopped when he reached his dimly lit kitchen. A man sat at the counter picking through the leftovers of the casserole. "Uh…Hawkeye right?" The man had frozen like a deer in high beams.

"Uh…maybe?" Barton responded trying to magically melt into the counters behind him, which never works. Bruce moved further into the room.

"What are you doing in my kitchen?" Bruce asked evenly. Hawkeye looked around frantically trying to spot an exit.

"Uh…nothing?" He said guiltily, quickly putting the fork in his hand down on the counter. Bruce smiled slightly at the image of the guilt stricken assassin.

"You know if you're hungry you could have asked, instead of sneaking in my place in the dead of night to steal my cooking." Bruce said. Hawkeye tried to move past Banner.

"Yeah…sorry about that." He said. Banner walked toward the fridge to get himself the juice he wanted.

"It would taste better if you heated it up." Bruce added suddenly. Clint paused and slowly gulped.

"It probably would. Do you mind if I have some?" He asked politely. Bruce smiled slightly at him.

"Be my guest." He said.

"Thanks man." Clint said relieved as he moved back into the kitchen to begin heating up some food in the microwave.

"No problem." Bruce said. He sat at his table and poured himself a glass of cranberry juice. "So how do you like your floor?" He asked. Barton looked over hiding his nervousness.

"Its nice." He replied simply. Banner smiled at what he was sure was an understatement.

"I've actually got a reflecting pool complete with a Zen garden, bongo drums, and about a pound and a half of weed. Tony likes to go all out." Bruce finished fondly. Clint snorted.

"Yeah, I noticed. Stark likes to brag." Barton said unkindly as he took a seat across from him with a plate of casserole in hand.

"Brag?" Bruce asked carefully. Barton gestured with his hands.

"About his wealth and power. He's trying to buy us and it's just pitiful." Barton said sneering. Banner had to wrestle the Other Guy for a moment, breathing deeply.

"Buy us? You know for someone who is supposed to be good at reading people you are terrible at it." He said as calmly as he could.

"Stark tricked you man, he's a pretentious sex-obsessed asshole. _Everyone_ knows that." Barton said condescendingly. Bruce lost control for a brief moment and his eyes bled green, scaring Clint into startling backwards in his chair.

"Well I only judge people by what they do. Tony's been nothing but kind, brave, and generous since I've known him. That's the sort of man he is. I suggest you keep your biased conclusions to yourself, and judge him for his actions. By the way if you do or say anything to hurt him, I won't be held responsible for what the Other Guy does to you." Banner finished with a snarl before leaving the spy behind and heading to his lab. Clint's heart beat quickly at the near miss he had just had. Then he stared off after the retreating figure of the doctor and shook himself.

"I just got shovel talked by the Hulk. My life is ridiculous." He murmured disbelievingly to himself, before heading back up to his own floor, stealing the last of the delicious leftovers on his way out.

(2.4m)abny

Tony was binge working in his lab when the call came through. "Sir, Fury is on the line." JARVIS said. Tony winced.

"Put him through." Just hearing Nick Fury's voice stiffened his spine.

"Stark, there's an emergency at the Baxter Building get there now and bring Barton and the Hulk. You're going to need them." Fury hung up before Tony could respond. He hated when other people did that. He was supposed to have the last word. He speedily grabbed up what he was working on and ran for the elevator, having JARVIS alert the others. He stopped at Banner's floor and brought him with him up to Barton's. Clint was standing at the elevator doors agitated but suited up. Tony pulled him in.

"I'm not on active duty Stark, I don't even have a bow." Clint protested. Tony threw the bow and arrows he had been working on at him.

"There's your bow, Katniss, and you're cleared for duty." Tony said. Clint blinked at him, stunned.

"Since when? …You talked to SHIELD psych didn't you?" Clint asked in awe. Tony smirked.

"Better I stuck Pepper on them, you also got a substantial raise in salary by the way." Stark said grinning.

"This isn't my bow…" Clint said wonderingly, stroking the dark metal links that made up his new weapon.

"I made it, your last one was shit. SHIELD R&D sent me the schematics. I also upgraded your arrows. Looks like you'll have to learn how to use them on the job." Clint nodded pleased and strapped the arrows and bow behind his back.

"Fine by me. Thanks S-Tony. You're an upright guy." Clint said sincerely. Tony looked off to a corner of the elevator as Bruce smiled.

"Whatever." Tony muttered.

"How bad is it?" Bruce asked, hoping that he wouldn't be needed after all. They reached the penthouse and ran to the balcony. They could see the Baxter Building from where they stood. A large portal stretched above it, hundreds of huge purple tentacles reaching through it to wrap around the building and the Fantastic Four. Tony swallowed at the sight of the portal, trying not to have a panic attack as he stared at it.

"Bad, Bruce, really bad." Tony said feelingly closing his eyes briefly before pulling himself together. They hopped into the waiting Quinjet and flew out to meet the portal.

"There is no way that's possible." Clint whispered as they looked at the insanity before them.

"Well since we're seeing it, I'd have to say that it is fucking possible." Tony snapped with a glare at what his eyes were seeing.

"I guess you're going to need the Other Guy." Bruce said sadly.

"I guess we are." Tony agreed.

"I hope you don't regret it." Bruce said, preparing himself to change and attack the creature they were fast approaching.

"Don't you know me at all Brucie, I regret nothing." Tony said flippantly. Clint looked over at Tony in his plain clothes.

"Aren't you going to suit up?" He asked. Tony held up a flask from his pocket and an arc reactor.

"Already on it." He said. Clint looked at him skeptically.

"You're drinking at a time like this?" Tony tipped the large flask over and a shimmering powder flew out.

"I wish." Tony said, as the powder swirled around and attached to him like a load magnet and solidified into the familiar red and gold suit, the arc settling in the center of his chest as if it had never been anywhere else.

"Whoa." Clint said in admiration. Bruce had already seen the show before and had even helped him work on perfecting the replicating sand that made the armor up.

"What's the plan?" Bruce asked.

"Slap Richards for causing this, and kill the tentacle thing? Oh and rescue the Fantastic Four." Tony said mechanically behind his helmet.

"Good plan, I like it." Clint said as they reached the building's roof. Tony flew out taking Clint with him as Bruce jumped turning into the Hulk midway. The jet flew away, taking a clipping hit from a tentacle as it went. Iron Man dropped Hawkeye at the nearest safe perch and then went to blast his repulsors at the tentacle currently wrapped around the Invisible Woman and her force field bubble. Hawkeye shot at the appendages knotted around Mr. Fantastic, while the Hulk roared deafeningly and punched at the suckers attached to the Thing. The Human Torch seemed to be faring the best against the creature, although the appalling smell of burned calamari suffused the air. After freeing Susan Richards, Tony flew over to Mr. Fantastic and tried to free him as well, while avoiding the whipping tentacles himself.

"Reed, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Tony yelled, dodging a striking appendage. Reed began extricating himself from the tentacles he was holding immobile.

"Tony, I had _nothing_ to do with this!" He yelled back.

"Yeah right!" Tony said sarcastically. Reed's head stretched towards him.

"Really, was not me. This fluctuating gravitational anomaly just appeared and then this…creature started reaching through it. I have no idea how this happened." Reed said succinctly. Tony fought off a particularly clingy tentacle sweeping around him.

"Reed-" He began heatedly.

"Sir you have to see this!" JARVIS said from within his helmet. A news feed showed up in a corner of his HUD. A woman spoke fearfully with a British accent. Spaceships, portals, and a brief glimpse of a flying figure in red cape showed up behind her.

"Random portals containing alien ships and creatures are appearing over the London skies. The hero, Thor, from the alien invasion in America, currently seems to be fighting off the creatures-" Tony cut the feed and used his speakers to inform the rest of the heroes of what was up.

"Shit. Guy's we are in more trouble than we thought." Tony said.

"How is that possible?" Clint muttered casting an electrical arrow.

"What now?" The Thing asked pulling apart two tentacles at once. Hulk heaved at a huge one ripping it off from whatever it was buried in the dark of the portal. He began cheerfully whipping the detached tentacle at the other limbs.

"There are more portals appearing in London, they don't seem to be having to deal with slimy tentacles though, just regular aliens." Tony said.

"Lucky them!" The Human Torch yelled. Mr. Fantastic frowned.

"We can't spare anybody, we're strapped as it is." Reed Richards said.

"I know, Thor's on the scene, he's going to have to handle it by himself." Tony said, grimacing.

"He's a god isn't he, so I'm sure he's good." Johnny Storm said reassuringly as he flew by, flaming a flailing limb that was sneaking behind Hawkeye.

"Do you have a way to close this?" Tony huffed out. Reed contemplated the portal for a moment.

"The portal is in flux, if we increase the fluctuation…" Reed began thoughtfully.

"We could implode the portal!" Tony finished gleefully.

"Yes!" Richard's agreed excitedly. Tony smiled.

"Then lets get to it. I'll need Cap Jr. and Hawkeye, bring the firepower you two, the rest of you keep that bastard's slimy paws away from us!" Tony yelled as he reluctantly positioned himself closer to the middle of the portal and readied his unibeam.

"I'm not Cap Jr. I don't look anything like Captain fucking America!" Storm shouted angrily. Mr. Fantastic frowned at his brother-in-law.

"You heard him Johnny, go help." He said. The Torch flew off to fire his hottest flame at the void, floating next to Tony. Hawkeye found his new explosive arrows and prepared to cast them. Hulk, Thing, Mr. Fantastic, and the Invisible Woman, ran interference, preventing them from being attacked. Tony, Johnny, and Clint, released their most damaging weapons at full blast all at the same time towards the open portal. When the weapons hit, there was a large booming sound. The portal shimmered and then exploded in a wave that cut off all the tentacles waving outside it and blasted everyone from their feet. After everyone recovered they reconvened at the middle of the roof.

"Well that was some kind of awful." Hawkeye understated.

"Yep." Ben Grimm agreed simply. Hulk moved over to Tony.

"Tin man! Fight over?" Hulk asked. Tony reached up and patted Hulk's thigh.

"Yeah man, you did great!" Hulk narrowed his eyes.

"You not fall." Tony grinned.

"Can't be the damsel in distress all the time Kermit." Hulk huffed.

"I not Kermit, I Hulk."

"I know, I know you're Hulk, do you know who that is?" Tony asked pointing at Hawkeye.

"Feathers." Hulk said. Tony laughed.

"Yeah, that's Feathers." Tony couldn't wait to tell Clint, Hulk's name for him.

"Want puny Banner back?" Hulk asked. Tony looked up at his green eyes.

"Hulk, you know you can stay here for a bit if you want?" Tony asked. Hulk tilted his head the way Bruce would and considered.

"Nothing to do here, but want to fight rock man." Hulk nodded toward the Thing. Thing looked up while rubbing some slime from his body.

"Ok maybe later." Tony said quickly. Hulk grinned and began to shrink down into a tired, rumpled doctor holding up his ripped slacks awkwardly.

"Hey Banner." Tony greeted.

"Hey. Looks like we won." Bruce said, looking down at the ground littered with still moving tentacle pieces.

"Oh and look Hulk didn't hurt anyone but the bad guy-thing." Tony said.

"That's…good." Bruce said. The Thing asked Bruce if he would like to pick up some pants from his wardrobe. Bruce smiled gratefully and followed Ben into the Baxter building. Tony checked the news feeds.

"Looks like Thor's handled his end of things." He said relieved.

"Awesome." Johnny said, exhausted.

"I wonder why a portal opened up here anyways." Reed wondered aloud.

"The world may never know." Hawkeye said. Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Are you a tootsie roll pop or what?" He said.

"So anybody up for Shawarma?" Tony quired. Hawkeye stared at him.

"Are you going to ask that after every fight we have?" Barton asked.

"Maaaybe." Tony answered playfully.

"What's Shawarma?" Susan asked. Johnny Storm flopped on the ground.

"I couldn't move an inch." Johnny groaned.

"Awesomeness in a wrapper. I'll go pick some up, be back in a sec." Tony said, before flinging himself off the roof and zooming away. The others watched him leave. The Thing and Bruce came back up to the roof. Bruce decently clothed.

"So, thanks for the assist." Susan said to Banner.

"No problem." Bruce replied.

"So you're Cap Jr?" Clint asked Johnny with a smile.

"Am not!" Johnny snapped. Susan eyes gleamed mischievously.

"We've looked into the family tree, absolutely no relation whatsoever." She said. Hawkeye grinned.

"So he gives you guys nicknames too, I thought that was just us." Hawkeye said.

"Nope." Ben said.

"What's yours?" Bruce asked him curiously.

"Rockbiter." Bruce chuckled. Hawkeye looked at Mr. Fantastic. Reed sighed.

"Armstrong." He said. Hawkeye laughed.

"Like Stretch Armstrong? That's hilarious. What about you." He said nodding at the Invisible Woman.

"He calls me Susan, you can too if you want." She said with a wink. Reed wrapped an arm around her doubly.

"_Mrs_. Richards." He emphasized. Susan slapped his arm.

"Oh come on Reed, they helped us out, we should at least be on a first name basis with them." She said.

"I'm Clint, Clint Barton." Barton said, kissing her hand. Reed scowled and rolled his limbs back to himself.

"Bruce." Banner said shyly shaking Susan's hand. The smile she sent back at them reached her eyes.

"I'm going to go get my instruments and examine the leftover residue from the portal." Richards said, almost running away. Tony flew up with plastic bags hanging around his arms.

"I'm back with Shawarma!" He yelled happily.

"What is it with you and Shawarma?" Hawkeye muttered to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

(2.4m)abny

The Iron Man suit was safely ensconced in its container. The three tired but Shawarma sated superheroes caught a stray taxi and returned to Avenger Tower. Tony tipped the cabbie generously. Together they entered the busy tower lobby. As they reached the private elevator, one of the receptionists hailed them. She trotted towards them, her heels clicking on the marble floors, waving an envelope. "Dr. Banner, your letter's arrived." Bruce walked over to her, smiling and took the creased letter.

"Thank you Camilla." Bruce said carefully taking the crinkled envelope. He smoothed it against his chest.

"You're welcome!" Camilla gushed, fidgeting with the sleeve at her wrist. She nodded politely to Tony and turned to head back to her desk. Tony looked after her, and then at Bruce, the letter, and then his gaze traveled back to the receptionist curiously.

"How do you know Camilla? And who writes letters anymore anyways?" Tony asked, distractedly. Bruce rolled his eyes briefly.

"I _have_ visited the lobby at least a _few_ times in the past two months, Tony. And if you must know…"

"I must, I must." Tony insisted playfully.

"The letter is from Steve." Bruce informed him in exasperation after they entered the elevator. Tony looked up in surprise.

"Steve? As in Rogers? _The_ Captain America has been writing you letters? Why? Doesn't he know how to email? The poor guy needs an upgrade; he must still think it's the dark ages! Ugh, _letters_." Tony said in disgust while shaking his head. Clint chimed in.

"He's been writing me and Natasha too actually. I still have no idea how he managed to get the things delivered to me on the Helicarrier, but then I have no idea how I got your invite to the tower…" Clint wondered, sending a considering look at Tony.

"Pepper and I are in the process of negotiating the ownership of the United States Postal Service, and that explains _everything_ from my end. As for Cap, he probably uses messenger pigeons or something equally prehistoric. But that's not the subject at hand-you guys have been getting letters from _Rogers_!?" Tony questioned.

"I don't know about Clint, but I've been communicating with him since the invasion." Bruce said.

"Me and Nat too." Clint added.

"And what does the mighty Captain write about?" Tony asked.

"Nothing much really, just how his day's been, the places he sees, the people he meets, that sort of thing." Bruce listed with an apologetic shrug.

"And you _bother_ reading that?" Tony sneered. Clint frowned.

"Not everyone is a two dimensional, shallow asshole. Maybe _that's_ why Steve doesn't write you." Clint said. Bruce threw a green death glare in Clint's direction. Clint ducked his head. Tony missed the interplay as he put a hand up to where his Arc reactor used to rest, in mock hurt.

"Ouch, you wound me Barton. So you guys respond to his letters then?" Tony continued conversationally.

"Yeah." Clint said.

"It would be rude not to." Bruce said ruefully, his eyes back to their normal hue. Tony didn't ask what they wrote to Rogers, it wasn't his business. And contrary to popular opinion he did know where to draw the line. The others left for their flats and he got off at his workshop. He staggered to his wall of wine coolers and picked out a good year. Well all the year's he had were good, but this one was particularly fine. He settled at his desk and popped the cork, pouring the dark red in a carafe to breathe for a few minutes. DUM-E rolled up to him wanting attention. Tony patted his strut absentmindedly. He was not insulted and hurt about not getting any letters from the great and powerful Steve Rogers. Because that would be childish, which he wasn't, and he wasn't a part of the team anyways, so it didn't matter really. It didn't. He decided to take a shower, have a panic attack and then drink until he stopped seeing the dark void of the portal haunting his minds eye, not necessarily in that order, Tony thought, as he began brutally chugging the cabernet.

"Nick Fury is calling for you Sir." Tony Stark lay on the floor under his metal worktable, leaning against a table leg. He held a tablet in his hands, as he absently worked on designing some acid arrows for Clint. A half full bottle of pinot noir rested between his knees. At JARVIS' voice, he waved in the general direction of the ceiling.

"Fan-_tastic_! Put him through J, no visual." Tony said vaguely. Fury's voice echoed in the spacious workshop.

"Stark!" Fury barked.

"Nicky, _darling_, how are you? Any new evil plots afoot lately? Mayhaps a call to assemble to fight malicious man-eating marshmallows from outerspace? I really hope this isn't a social call, cause I'm soooo not up for that, I'd rather face man-eating marshmallows." Tony said owlishly, as he tiredly reached up to place the Starkpad on the table above him.

"You drunk?" Fury asked gruffly.

"Working on it." Tony replied with a bitter smirk, tipping the wine bottle back to his mouth. Tony was an accomplished drinker having already finished off two bottles of insanely expensive wine. He was startled that Fury had figured out that he had been drinking.

"Why am I not surprised?" Fury muttered disgustedly.

"Because you're Nick fucking Fury, you're never surprised are you?" He asked.

"I wouldn't say never..." Fury said in a wirily tone. Tony put the bottle back between his legs and straightened himself more against the table leg.

"How's the puppet WSC working for you?" Tony asked suddenly.

"Well enough." Fury answered simply.

"I still don't know why you insisted on putting that Alexander Pierce on the council." Tony wondered out loud.

"He's the one who recommended me to be SHIELD's director to the original WSC, and he's a trusted friend." Fury said quietly.

"Trust and friendship, not words one would associate with you." Tony said.

"There's a good reason for that." Fury said.

"I'm sure." Tony agreed.

"I also had to, most of our assets are located on American soil, and it pays to have the US government think that they still have a hand in things." Tony snorted at that.

"And your dear trusted friend doesn't know that the rest of the council doesn't actually exist?" Stark asked.

"Not a clue." Fury said with certainty.

"Some trusted friend you have there." Tony said.

"Exactly." Fury said. Implying of course, that if that was how he treated his trusted friends, how would he treat his enemies? "I was right not to trust him." Fury added slowly. Tony folded his legs one atop the other and took another gulp of his wine.

"Oh?" He asked curiously, taking the obvious bait.

"Lets just say, I need to clean house." Fury said. Tony shook his head at the spy's ambiguity.

"Ugh. Your spynessness is giving me hives. Cut to the chase Fury, I've got things that need doing. What do you want?" Tony asked, exasperated.

"I need one of those RVF masks you've been working on and another LMD, this one, for me." Fury said.

"I'm not going to ask how you know about the masks, but why an LMD for you?" Tony asked, his sharp eyes, narrowing. Fury completely ignored his question.

"It needs to be able to pass a complete medical workup. Can you do it, or not Stark?" Fury snapped.

"You know I can, but I'd like to know why you would need a decoy? How dirty is your house?" Tony asked.

"Very, and I have no idea who to trust."

"And yet you trust me, I'm flattered." Tony said.

"I trust you as far as I can throw you when you're in the Iron Man suit." Fury said.

"Then why tell me?" Tony asked.

"Project Insight." Fury responded simply.

"What about it?"

"You know about it, you helped supply the tech for the new carriers." Fury answered. Stark rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I know, I was there." He said. Fury huffed out a breath.

"I think there is something wrong with the Project. It was too easy to get the funding, the approval came too quickly." Fury said.

"Sometimes things are easy." Tony said carefully, fiddling with the bottle between his hands.

"No they're not." Fury said.

"No they're not." Tony agreed back. "So what do you think is going on?" He asked.

"I don't know, and I'm not sure something is up, _yet_. But something smells like three week dead Chitauri and I want a back up plan in case something does go wrong." Fury said.

"I trusted you with my repulsion tech, Fury. Do I need to take care of this problem for you…_again_?" Tony said angrily, his eyes flashing.

"This is my house, I'll take care of it." Fury said, his tone one of tightly reined in anger. Tony nodded and thought for a moment.

"You still using the good Captain for missions?" Tony asked offhandedly.

"That isn't any of your business." Fury said. He paused, then added grudgingly curious. "Why do you want to know?" Tony shrugged to himself.

"You said you didn't know who to trust. Cap's up in DC with you. Maybe you should trust him. After all, if you can't trust Captain America, who can you trust?" There was a full minute of silence. Tony smiled, pleased that he had silenced the super spy. "By the way, the Hawk's missing his Spider, I don't suppose you would know where she is, would you?" Tony asked casually, finishing off the pinot noir.

"…The LMD, and RVF, how much?" Fury asked softly, disregarding Stark's question. Tony sighed, annoyed.

"Fine, keep your secrets, Mr. McSpy. But it's gonna cost you. 225 all together, and I'll throw in the specs for free. To pass medical, it'll need to be way more detailed than the council members' so I'll need a full biometric scan and makeup." Tony finished quickly, without a slur.

"It'll be sent to you." Fury said.

"I wait with baited breath." Tony said.

"And sober the fuck up, you know the shit we'll be facing soon enough, you've seen what is being kept on level 8, we can't afford for you to indulge in your vices." Fury said. Tony glared at the air in front of him.

"_Fuck_ you." Stark snarled before Fury hung up. Then he threw the empty bottle across the room, where it flew through a colorful holographic target before shattering against the far wall. Butterfingers began sweeping it up as Tony left the underside of the table to begin work on Fury's LMD.

(2.9m)abny

The three superhero's sat around the oak kitchen table on Tony's floor. "Why do I have two hands, Tony?" Bruce asked holding his hands up, each holding five Apples to Apples cards. Tony peered over the cards fanned out in his own hand.

"I don't know, maybe because you were born that way?" Tony said sarcastically. Clint sniggered as he drank his cola, his cards resting face down in front of him. Bruce put the cards down and sighed.

"Seriously though, you do know that I don't have dissociative identity disorder?" Bruce asked. Tony nodded as he changed the order of the cards in his hand.

"Sure. But Hulk should get to play too, it wouldn't be fair to exclude the guy just because he's an awesome mean green fighting machine who happens to live inside an awesome tea drinking super scientist, now would it?"

"Just be happy and take the handicap Banner, he's not going to stop otherwise." Clint said with a wave towards Tony. Tony saluted him back with his middle finger.

"Fine." Bruce agreed finally.

"Okay, I go first, cause I said. The word is, Hilarious." Tony said. Clint stared at each card he had, his brows scrunched up in confusion. He put the cards back face down on the table and crossed his arms.

"Alright I call mulligan, did you alter these cards or what? I used to play this game all the time with Ph-, friends. I don't know what any of these are. I mean, come on, transdimensional profundity? Flight of the Concords? LP? And who's Richard Dawkins?" Hawkeye asked.

"A renowned evolutionary psychologist, who happens to be an avid Doctor Who fan. I, however, want to know who Cecil Baldwin is." Bruce said while looking at one of his cards through his glasses. Tony's eyes widened comically.

"You're kidding right? Have you been living under a rock?" Bruce arched his eyebrow, while Clint stared at him.

"Yeah dude, he kinda has, but I don't know who that is either." Barton said. Tony tossed his cards into the box, annoyed.

"The game was boring before, I made it better, waaay better. But whatever, fine, different game then, sheesh! How about…?" Tony tapped his lip thoughtfully. "Who here can play Magic the Gathering?" He finally asked. Banner raised his hand shyly and pushed his glasses up on his nose. Tony smiled and slapped Bruce's raised hand with his own.

"That's my Science Bro." Tony said. Bruce smiled nervously in return.

"You guys are _such_ geeks." Clint said.

"Sticks and stones…" Bruce said quietly.

"Says the guy who thinks using a bow and arrow is the epitome of cool." Tony said. "Since you live with us now, you will have to feed the starved inner geek within you. Feed your geekiness Hood. Feed. Your. Geekiness." Tony annunciated slowly. Clint smiled and threw back his soda.

"Fine Tony, show me how to play." Clint said, giving in.

"I've got some spare decks you guys could use." Tony got up and went for his game room. He came back a few minutes later with several boxes. "Ok, elf deck for Brucie, spirits for Hulk, solider deck for Clint, and squirrels for me." Tony said passing out the decks. Bruce accepting without protest, the fact that he had to play with two decks. Tony and Bruce taught the sharpshooter how to play. Clint caught on surprisingly quickly. They then began playing in earnest.

"Why is it called tapping mana when I'm _turning_ the card? What sense does that make?" Barton asked at one point. Bruce and Tony shared a look.

"Just shut up and be decimated by my squirrels of doom Clint." Tony said as he turned his cards to attack.

(3m)abny

Tony Stark lay in the center of his large bed for once. He hadn't tried sleeping in a proper bed since he had left Pepper. He tossed and turned in the silken sheets as they twisted around him. He groaned loudly, his eyes wincing.

"N-no." He moaned.

"Sir?" Jarvis asked. Tony whimpered.

"Please, don-, Ob-"

"Sir? Wake up!" Tony startled awake, his eyes wide and breathing heavily. He struggled to a sitting position as he clutched at the phantom pain in his chest, feeling the smooth titanium cover where his arc used to reside. Sometimes he missed the reassuring blue glow, more than sometimes.

"J-JARVIS?" He asked the dim room desperately.

"I'm here sir. The time is 2pm. You are in Avenger Tower and the sun should be shining." Tony took a moment to process what his A.I. had said.

"Should be?" He asked, looking toward the nearest eyecam.

"I'm afraid so Sir. There is a thunder god currently reclining on the penthouse balcony." JARVIS said dryly.

"Thor's here." Tony stated, hearing the thunder and pelting rain even from within his bedroom.

"Indeed, Sir." JARVIS affirmed. Tony rose from his bed slowly.

"Yay." He said without much joy. He put on some shoes and brought a large umbrella with him as he headed for his common room, still in his Iron Man pajama pants and black T. He glared at the rain pounding outside the glass doors to the balcony. His glare then refocused on the large and muscular hunched man sitting on the ledge of his terrace. He took a breath, opened the umbrella and braved the rain outside. Luckily there wasn't any wind. The rain sheeted straight down, falling around the umbrella, avoiding him completely. He could see the darkened clouds surrounding Avenger Tower in a mile wide circle. The rest of the city was in full sunshine. _Fucking rain_, Tony thought viciously. He studiously avoided puddles as he walked over to the god sitting on his ledge. He stood behind him and resisted the urge to shove him off. After all, the god _could_ fly. "Turn off the waterworks, would you?!" Tony yelled over the roar of the rain and thunder. Thor turned to look at him and Tony swallowed some of his ire at the man's wrecked expression.

"My apologies Man of Iron, I did not know you would be in your spire." Thor said quietly, his voice somehow cutting through the sound and fury of the weather raging around them. Thor turned to look back out over the city as the storm around them quieted, the rain and thunder ceasing altogether, although the storm clouds yet remained.

"Why are you here?" Tony asked as he folded up the umbrella and leaned on it.

"I did not wish to share my burden with my Lady, I came here on a whim, nothing more." Thor said. All energy and vitality seemed drained from him.

"Your lady?" Tony asked. Thor's lips quirked upward slightly.

"My Lady, the mortal, Jane Foster." Thor said. Tony hummed to himself, twisting the umbrella in his hands.

"Jane Foster? The astrophysicist?"

"Indeed, that is her title." Thor asserted.

"I know her, sort of; tried to hire her for SI. She's very clever, top of her field." He said. Thor smiled in earnest.

"Truly, she is beyond compare!" Thor declared proudly before sinking once more into himself. Tony steeled himself.

"What's bothering you?" Tony asked cautiously.

"My mother and brother have both left this life for another." Thor said sadly, thunder rumbled distantly. Tony looked up worriedly before popping the umbrella back open and raising it above his head, just in case.

"Oh…I'm sorry." Tony said, his eyes fixated on the clouds above.

"I know my brother's death will only bring you and many other's joy, however his last acts in life were heroic and he was my brother." Thor said earnestly, strangling the grip of the hammer in his hands. Tony looked down at the morose god.

"I don't know what to say Thor, I'm not good at this kind of thing… Feelings they make me itchy…you know?" Tony trailed off uncertainly. He shook himself and nodded to the penthouse behind him. "Why don't we go inside, we can drink, eat, whatever, and you can tell me about it, if you want? I may not have known your mother, or liked your brother all that much or at all... I've certainly never had any siblings, or been that close with my own family, but…I can listen…" Thor looked up at his fellow warrior standing awkwardly behind him, holding up an umbrella against any possibility of rain. He read true sympathy in the man's eyes, a desire to help.

"Yes…Man of Iron, that would be well, perhaps you are not as bad at these things as you think." Thor said.

"Call me Tony." Tony said as they walked through the glass doors together.

"Friend Tony, show me these drinks and victuals of yours!" Thor yelled as he slapped the slighter man on the back, causing him to stumble as they entered the penthouse, leaving the dark clouds swirling behind them.


	8. Chapter 8

(3m)abny

Natasha Romanoff watched over the burning ruins of yet another facility that had been run by the people that had made her. Not her parents, never them, they had been people, humans; she barely remembered what they looked like. No, monsters had made her; real ones, ones that made the Hulk look like a Sesame Street knock off…ones like her. She didn't even remember what it felt like to be human. Oh, she could play at it, they had taught her well, but she couldn't _feel_ it, not the way she was sure she should. Natasha used to wonder if everyone else was pretending to be human too and they were just better at it. Clint had convinced her otherwise. He was certainly more human than she would ever be. Smoke issued forth from fissures in the ground in front of her from the underground facility. This hadn't been _her_ Red Room, but it had been _a_ Red Room. It pleased the growling thing deep within her to see it being reduced to ash. If she could express her emotions like a proper human, she would be laughing and dancing around the destroyed site in unrestrained joy. As it was a slight smile curved her lips and then it curled still further, showing her teeth in a stiff snarl. She ducked further down behind the snowdrift as an unmarked military vehicle traveled down the dirt road.

It hadn't been her who had destroyed this building, or the others like it. Oh she would have, even without orders, she had always wanted to do this, to have some actual revenge, besides using her talents to balk her former country that had used and abused her, to work on the side of the angels. But no, it had not been her. Fury had offered to put her on this stealth op. months ago, almost directly after the battle, no one was to know where she was and what she was up to, not even Hawkeye. She was in the spy business, keeping secrets was the job, even if she had to keep them from Clint…it kept him safer that way. Fury had ordered her to recover, or if necessary, destroy any and all information that Hawkeye and the other agents under Loki's control had leaked to their various enemies. She had agreed to go; it was better if she was the one that covered for Clint, after all, what she had said to Loki had been true, she owed Barton, for everything.

While on the trail of the missing information, interrogating one of SHIELD's more well known enemies, Natasha had found that they possessed some of the new SHIELD weapons, weapons they had only just gotten after the Battle for New York, and therefore after Clint and the other agents had returned to themselves. She reported back to Fury, who in turn told her that he believed that there were moles buried in SHIELD, betraying them from within. He didn't know who, but he expected her to find out. Which was why she was currently investigating the recent spate of destruction that had been plaguing the top-secret labs and facilities in her mother Russia. Fury thought it might have something to do with the infiltrators that were working inside of SHIELD. He had even suspected her of being one and orchestrating the attacks, which was understandable; Fury knew where she had come from. But he had had her under careful surveillance, which had cleared her. She looked out across the snow-covered field, checked the military's position and then retreated to her snowmobile two miles back, hidden beneath a white tarp. As she sped away she considered the intel she had gathered so far. It seemed these attacks had been perpetrated by the hitman known as the Winter Soldier. She had caught a brief glimpse of him at the Pavlovian Institute a week ago, before it had blossomed into a fiery explosion behind him in the night sky; his metallic arm shinning in the reflected orange glow. She tried to follow him, but lost him in the ensuing chaos. It was strange. The Winter Soldier had apparently been around for decades; how he was alive and still killing she couldn't guess. People didn't grow old in her line of work. She had even encountered him once before... Natasha held a hand to her side, fingering the old scar through her spotted white furs as she drove; there was a larger scar on her back where the Soldier's bullet had exited. The Winter Soldier was a ghost, a shrouded figure in the world of assassination. He was supposed to be a merc, going where the most money paid him. But who would pay to have these experimental facilities destroyed when most of them had been long out of use? Also, once upon a time the Soldier had only worked Russian contracts for a number of years... It was a mystery, _he_ was a mystery, and as to what the connection was between the Soldier, SHIELD, and the moles, Natasha didn't know. Yet. It was time to go home, but first she had to report her findings to the Director, and then investigate the Triskelion for anyone acting out of character, she would finish this mission and then go to Barton. The job always came first, that had been Clint's first lesson, oddly enough that had been the Red Room's too.

(3m)abny

Tony led Thor straight to the bar in his penthouse, leaning the umbrella against the couch on his way. He then had JARVIS order some pizza, 5 different pies. Thor looked around trying to pinpoint the origin of JARVIS' voice. "An invisible servant! Midgard must be more like Asgard than I thought!" Thor exclaimed. Tony smiled and gestured around them.

"I created him actually. JARVIS helps me with my work and runs this building…and my life. He is an extremely advanced A.I; I'm not sure how to put that in Viking, uh… He's a soul powered by electricity, er-lightning?" Thor frowned.

"We do have technology on Asgard." Thor said. Tony's eyes widened mischievously.

"You do?" Tony asked. Thor nodded sagely.

"In point of fact Asgardian technology is far superior to Midgard's." Thor said arrogantly.

"It is? So the Einstein-Rosen Bridge that you arrived on would be powered through a convex redundant spatial fissure, yeah?" Thor frowned further and rubbed the handle of the hammer hanging from his side.

"I do not know of these words which you speak." Thor said, annoyed. Tony smiled.

"Yeah, I didn't think you would." Tony muttered. "Annnyways. Most of my furniture and appliances have their own A.I.s or are run by JARVIS." He said more loudly as he moved behind the bar and poured out a splash of Scotch for himself. "So what's your poison?" Tony asked. Thor's hammer slammed shockingly into his fist and his eyes blazed.

"You wish to poison me Man of Iron? For what purpose would you do this, and why would I tell which poison would harm me? You will not find me easy prey!" Thor bellowed moving menacingly toward Tony. Tony held up his hands, one with the glass of scotch still gripped in it.

"Whoa, whoa there, Muscles. It's just a saying, from you know, Midgard? It means, what do you want to drink?!" Tony said. Thor stopped and lowered his eyes and hammer in shame.

"Ah…I see, my apologies once again, I will have whatever you think satisfactory. I am still trying to fathom the customs of this world-my world and have much to learn." Thor said quietly.

"Your world?" Tony asked as he poured Thor a glass of scotch as well.

"I have forsaken my home to live here on Midgard permanently with my Jane, there is nothing left for me on Asgard." Thor said sadly, seating his large bulk on the small stool in front of the bar.

"That must be hard." Tony said consolingly. Thor nodded grimly.

"The decision was difficult, yes, but necessary. I could no longer split my life between worlds, nor could I ask Jane to leave her home for mine, and Midgard needs me here." Thor took the drink Tony offered, eyed it, and then chugged it back. His eyes widened, pleased.

"This is good, Anthony! Another!" Thor yelled and then threw the glass onto the floor, shattering it across the marble. Tony almost jumped out of his skin and then gripped at his fast beating heart.

"Shit! Don't _do_ that!" Tony yelled desperately. Thor looked up regretfully.

"Jane has told me not to do this before, it was a very pleasing brew, and for a moment I had forgotten myself. In Asgard that is how we show our appreciation for a good drink." Thor said.

"Asgardian cup makers must be making a mint." Tony said to himself, and then he moved around the bar to assess the damage and groaned piteously. "Ugh, my poor glass, what did he do to you my darling?" Tony said while looking at the remains on his floor disconsolately. Thor almost fell off his stool in shock and stood up, moving gracelessly towards the broken glass on the floor.

"Was that another of your creations Man of Iron, was it…_sentient_, one of you're A.I.'s?" Tony just gaped at him. Thor became even more distressed. "I have harmed a being beneath your roof while being your guest. Please tell me what I can do to make amends for this blunder, I would give anything!" Thor said pleadingly. Tony lifted his head, hopeful, a gleam in his eyes.

"Anything?" He asked slowly. Thor bowed his head.

"Anything you wish Anthony and if it is within my power it is yours!" Thor intoned earnestly. Tony held up a finger.

"First call me Tony, and second, come live here with me at the tower." Tony said.

"You want me to live in your spire?" Thor asked, confused.

"Why not? You could bring Jane Foster, there's more than enough room, and many of the others of the team are already living here." Tony said shrugging. Thor looked off to the side.

"… I shall, discuss this invitation with my lady." He said, considering. Tony looked back down at the shattered glass.

"I thought you had said, anything." Tony said mournfully, pouting. Thor looked back at him and grinned, nodding his head decisively.

"Very well, let it not be said that Thor is not a god of his word, this spire shall become my new home!" He yelled enthusiastically reaching up to pound Tony on his shoulder in camaraderie. Tony smiled, rubbing his shoulder, and moved back to the bar to get more alcohol as JARVIS announced that the pizzas had arrived.

"Good. It's settled, so lets get smashed, not Hulk smashed, but like drink smashed, but not your kind of drink smashing. Ugh, never mind, let's just drink, have pizza, and you can tell me your problems. Then I'll show you your new awesome digs!"

"I did not understand all your words friend Tony, but I believe I agree with them all. Let us get…smashed, and I shall tell you of all my recent adventures and sorrows!"

Loud drunken bawdy singing echoed along the vents of Avenger tower, reaching the spy currently lurking in the duct system of the Avenger floor's common room. He had discovered this floor weeks ago, though Stark had yet to give them the run of it. Clint Barton figured that Tony was still tweaking some of the details, or maybe waiting until the entire team showed up. Clint wasn't sure. He followed the sound of the drunken voices until he ended up on what he had assumed was Thor's floor, the large barrels of mead had given him a clue. He found Tony and the God of Thunder trading back and forth all the drinking songs they knew as they tossed back the mead in the gilded hall that Tony had designed to make the alien feel at home. Clint shook his head at the picture and at yet another addition to their growing team, before quietly backing out to go to his own floor. He couldn't help wondering when Nat would end up coming here. He didn't doubt it would happen. Tony Stark seemed to know what he was doing when he rebuilt this tower. Barton left the vents on his floor and climbed up a ladder to the loft where his bed was. It was an open space that looked out over his simplistic living room and kitchen. It had been designed perfectly for him. It all confirmed it, Tony knew what he was doing, and frankly, Clint was just glad someone did.


	9. Chapter 9

(3m)abny

Capt. Rogers stood at the entrance to the awards ceremony, reluctantly posing for the camera flashes. Some things hadn't changed with time. The press was still the press, and he was still their prancing bear. At least he wasn't wearing his Captain America costume; he'd always hated wearing it when he wasn't fighting. Instead he wore a grey suit with a blue tie, a different kind of costume. He shifted awkwardly; it fit him too tightly. He hadn't bothered to get a fitting; his bank account with accrued wages may have been restored to him, but that didn't mean he needed to spend more than he had too. A department store getup did him just fine, even if he did feel like his shoulders were straining to split the dang monkey suit in half.

Rogers blinked at a particularly bright flash and the grinning man behind it. He had been born and raised in a time of frugality, and had trouble reconciling that with all the waste and expenditure he saw around him in this day and age, so much flash and bang for so little substance. It was one of the reasons that Tony Stark had rubbed him the wrong way. One of the many reasons... Steve freely admitted that he had his own share of the blame for their unfortunate first meeting, Loki's staff's evil influence aside. Still, he had hoped that he could eventually get along with the son of the man he had so respected and cared for.

He looked up as he finally got the cue to move on to the building in front of him, while walking along the green carpet he couldn't help his thoughts returning once more to Tony Stark. All Steve seemed to do was misjudge the man in the iron mask. Ha, see Stark, he could make references too! He had been writing him and the rest of the team since the battle, and all of them had been replying to him over the past few months, except Stark or Thor, but the alien, he outright refused to call the man a god, had traveled to a different world and pigeons could only fly so far. He still thought Clint's recent letter that asked if he used carrier pigeons to deliver his letters was hilarious, he used the regular postal service of course, he had no idea where Clint had gotten that ridiculous idea from, they did have the United States Postal Service in the 40's after all. Tony Stark on the other hand just flat-out ignored all his posts. He didn't know if the guy had even read a one of his letters, which had become increasingly desperate as time passed. He had even considered mentioning the fellow's complete lack of response to the other Avengers, but figured that would be disrespectful. A leader shouldn't talk about his personal issues with a team member to the other members like that. Oddly enough, according to Clint Barton and Dr. Bruce Banner's letters, they were currently living with Stark in that ugly tower of his, and apparently enjoying his hospitality.

Steve just plain did not understand that fella at all. First Stark sacrificed himself to save Manhattan, then they had had that disastrous debrief on the Helicarrier, then he shakes his hand like all is well, ignores three months worth of his letters, and gives the members of the team a place to come home to. Maybe the man was plum unstable. Geniuses often were, weren't they? Surely he had heard that somewhere? Rogers entered the seating room and stopped to shake a passing celebrity's hand, actively not crushing it in his enhanced grip.

Making sure the American public accepted the Initiative had taken up a lot of his time and energy. It was important that they weren't seen as vigilantes, or misfits, but as heroes. He was the face of the team and fielded any questions the media and politicians had about the Avengers' and their intentions. He had to admit that it seemed to be going well so far. The public wanted to accept them. They'd seen footage of what had struck Manhattan and people were frightened. They wanted to grasp at the hope that the Earth was defended from all the things that went bump in the night. They wanted to believe in heroes, and Steve, all he wanted was to give them heroes worth believing in.

The next morning found Rogers running along his usual route when he saw a familiar figure leaning against the entryway to the Lincoln Memorial as he was passing. He jogged up the white marble steps to meet SHIELD Director Nick Fury. The Director looked him over expressionlessly, his arms folded casually across his chest. "Sir?" Steve asked.

"Captain. You're looking well." Fury acknowledged, as his one eye stared disconcertingly at him.

"Thank you, Sir. Might I ask what you're doing here?" Steve asked semi politely.

"Sightseeing." Fury said with an upturn of his lips, gesturing to the monument behind him with a nod of his head.

"You don't seem like much of a tourist to me, if you don't mind my saying." Steve said skeptically.

"Neither do you, yet that seems to be all you've been up to these days." Fury said, uncrossing his arms and walking inside the memorial. Steve joined him.

"I wouldn't say that's all I've been 'up' to, I've also been handling all the press and politics for the Initiative, as you had asked me to. Sir." Steve reminded him.

"I did, but that jobs done." Fury admitted. "Now I have more important tasks in mind for you." Fury said.

"More important that managing how the public views the Avengers?" Steve demanded.

"Yes." Fury stated simply.

"And what could I do that could possibly be more important?" Steve asked.

"What you're used to doing, what you are still needed for, saving the American people." Fury asserted.

"We may be at war, Sir, but it's not a war I agree with." Steve said judiciously, his back military straight, and arms at parade rest behind him.

"I'm not talking about playing solider for the war on terror son, I'm talking about a different game entirely."

"What game?" Steve questioned.

"I have a covert operations team that I want you to head. I need you to be useful again and you're going to need the experience of running a mission in this day and age if you're going to be of any use in leading the Avengers." Fury said.

"I did well enough during the invasion." Steve said.

"We both know you could have done better, besides we may need your expertise again before long." Fury said.

"Know something I don't, Sir?" Steve asked, his blue eyes worried.

"There are more dangerous things in this century than you could conceive of." Fury said.

"Worse than aliens invading from holes in the skies above Manhattan?" Steve asked sardonically.

"Worse even than that." Fury said seriously, his eye staring directly into Steve's own.

"What kind of covert operations are we talking about?" Steve asked. Fury glanced around at the other visitors to the memorial.

"The covert kind. Admit it Captain, you miss it, the action, the excitement, you want to get back in the saddle more than anything don't you?" Fury asked, assured. Rogers' eyes strayed to the monument before them, his mouth a thin line. "Well, think it over and then meet me at the Triskelion, I'll be waiting." Fury said before turning abruptly, his coat swishing around him as he left. Steve gazed at the past president before him and wrestled with his thoughts.

(3.2m)abny

"Can you yet again explain why is it that you brave warriors spar with these soft gloves upon your hands?" Thor asked as he watched the two combatants meet once more in the middle of the bouncing ring to exchange blows.

"Because it's boxing Thor, not sparring." Bruce explained tiredly as he threw a well-aimed punch toward Tony's head, which Tony ducked back from swiftly. Thor rested his head on top of his folded arms on the ring's white floor. His bright eyes tracked their movements avidly.

"I do not understand this difference. I also can't imagine why the Ogre should bother to spar in his puny form…" Thor trailed off, confused, gesturing at Bruce with one hand. Banner flinched minutely at his words. Tony froze, before turning a cold glare at the God.

"Don't call him that! Shrek's got nothing on the Hulk's awesomeness!" Thor opened his mouth about to ask what a Shrek was when Tony continued angrily. "And don't get me started on Banner, he's the least puny guy in this room! In fact he's the most… unpuny guy, like ever!" Tony snarled while moving over to lean over Thor. Bruce smiled to himself, embarrassed. Tony turned around to smile at Bruce. Managing to convey that he meant every word. Thor raised a hand in the air pacifyingly.

"Peace Anthony. It was not my intention to fight with you." He then faced Banner and bowed his head. "My apologies Dr. Banner for any insult, for none was intended, but are you two friends not fighting one another in order to train your bodies for battle?" Thor asked again, perplexed. Tony and Bruce both twitched at the word, friends. Then they looked back up at each other with similar expressions on their faces. Barton diverted Thor's attention by breaking in.

"Its more of a sport, a kind of game, don't you have sports on Asgard? Like I don't know, Quidditch?" Clint asked from his position in the far corner of the room, sipping a bottle of cream soda as he watched his teammates throw punches at each other.

"I do not know about this Quidditch, but we do indeed have some frivolous competitions on my old home." Thor said thoughtfully as he once again regarded the ring. Bruce and Tony had both energetically returned to the fight. Bruce managed to throw a quick combination of hits at Tony, one getting past his guard and connecting with his right shoulder. Bruce smiled apologetically, while Tony looked momentarily surprised and then gleeful. "Yet this still seems much like sparring to me friend Hawk, and with these soft paddings on their fists I fail to see how one would learn." Thor continued as he shook his head stubbornly. "Even a child should be willing to be harmed in training, otherwise they would never be properly prepared for the dangers of true battle." Thor asserted passionately. Tony looked heavenward for a moment as he backed away once more from Bruce and his concerted roundhouses, keeping his arms up in front of his face as he stayed on the defensive.

"I'm so fucking thankful I didn't grow up on Asgard." Tony said as Clint rolled his eyes. "It's fun, Goldilocks, like Disney Land fun when you're high on poptarts, and decidedly _not_ training which is like the opposite of fun, like boardroom meetings, which are ick." Tony proclaimed. Thor's nose wrinkled adorably at the word poptarts.

"Poptarts! Where are these Migardian delicacies that you have promised to me, friend Anthony?" Thor demanded, wide-eyed with innocence.

"They are several jumbo boxes currently buried in Hawkeye's cupboards-" Tony began. Hawkeye frowned.

"Hey! _My_ cupboards, _my_ poptarts!" Clint cried.

"-my easily distracted HeMan." Tony continued unperturbed. "And for the last and final and absolutely the last time, my name's Tony! Not Anthony, not Antonio, not Man of Iron, not T-I-double Ga-Er, not Jackie, cause that would be weird, but Tony! It's not hard! It's two syllables for Thor's sake!" Tony yelled comically annoyed.

"My apologies once again friend Tony." Thor said contritely. Stark glared at the God for good measure, before throwing an elbow out at Bruce who barely managed to dodge to the left in time. Tony used his footwork to press Banner around the ring

"Oy Brucie! Put some more oomph into it!" Tony breathed out, huffing.

"Yeah Brucie, what he said!" Clint called out mockingly. Tony's head snapped around.

"Hey! I call foul, total and complete foul, only I get to call Bruce, Brucie!" Tony said.

"And I call foul on you teaching Banner to box, that is in no way boxing." Clint said, his eyes narrowed. Bruce looked across to him.

"It isn't?" He asked curiously. Tony rubbed the back of his neck with a glove.

"Ehhhh. It's mostly boxing, kinda boxing, flair boxing for geniuses only, which is why the Big Guy and I can do it and you can't Feathers." Tony prevaricated, winking mischievously at Bruce as he called to Clint.

"It's called mixed martial arts, and that kind of dirty boxing would get you banned from any ring." Barton said, disapprovingly.

"Well my way of doing things is totally less boring." Tony stated. Banner had paused their fighting to have some of his iced green tea and considered the contents contemplatively.

"Is it possible…" Bruce trailed off. Tony cocked his head.

"Is what possible Jolly Rancher?" Bruce straightened his shoulders.

"Have-Have you been teaching me all this on purpose?" Bruce asked lowly. Tony shrugged easily.

"I don't know what you're talking about Bucklebear, why do these strange words leave your mouth?" Tony asked with a grin. Realization dawned in Bruce's eyes.

"You have, haven't you? You want me to learn to defend myself without needing the Hul- the Other Guy." Bruce said.

"Look, I just wanted to have a boxing partner, no ulterior motives here, none at all." Tony took out his Starkphone and swiped through the news feeds until an alert popped up. "Oh look a bank robbery in progress, and on a Thursday no less, won't those dastardly evil villains ever learn?" Tony tisked loudly, shaking his head mockingly. Thor frowned before his eyes began gleaming with righteous anger.

"These criminals dare defile my most sacred day? Let us go and teach the cretins the error of their wicked ways!" Thor yelled, his hammer zooming in through a doorway and slamming into his hand. Barton clasped a hand to his forehead and dragged it down his face.

"Not again. I fucking hate Thursday's." Clint groaned. "Thank you so much for this Tony." Clint said sarcastically as he got out his bow and quiver. Stark blissfully ignored the archer before clapping his hands once and running off to fetch his suit. Bruce climbed over the rope confidently and pulled off his gloves.

"Fine Tony, have it your way, but this isn't over." Bruce said calmly. Tony stopped and shrugged by the doorway, before saying back over his shoulder with a million watt smile.

"When is it ever?"

"Well the Other Guy is not going to be needed for a simple bank robbery is he?" Bruce's voice sounded over the com. He rode on the back of a tricked out tron motorcycle with Hawkeye, which was totally street legal. Thor had almost arrived via spinning hammer and Tony was the first to appear on the scene. Luckily Tony had just completed a lightening proofed communicator for Thor as the god's voice came on the line.

"Then why are you here Dr. Banner?" Thor asked, genuinely curious.

"Moral support." Bruce replied simply. Tony laughed and then cut short as he caught sight of the criminals. Six teenagers ran from the First National Bank. Four large stuffed duffle bags floated behind them in a large, pink, see through bubble. The teens broke past the surrounding patrol cars and cops. One teen jumping higher than should have been possible over a parking meter and two cars, while another scattered blood from a cut on his arm, which turned into red bullets that streaked at the cars the police ducked behind. All six of the teens then headed for a tree-covered park across the street. Tony Stark radioed the others what he had just observed over his com as he flew unseen over the robber's heads.

"So mutants then?" Barton asked conversationally.

"Looks like." Tony agreed.

"What are these so called mutants?" Thor asked arriving to hover beside the Iron Man armor.

"You'll see soon enough." Bruce sighed out.

"They're like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." Barton explained as he and Banner arrived at the park.

"They seem to be fairly young." Thor commented while looking down at them. Tony pointed out various locations.

"Just keep your eyes open. Hawkeye get high, and that's not a pun, Thor you confront them in the north and intimidate the fuckers, oh and try to lay off the lightening until we know what we're dealing with here, they're just kids after all. I'll cut them off from the west. And Bruce stay where you are unless we need you." Tony ordered. The team went off in the various directions he had indicated.

"_Don't_ need me." Bruce insisted as he waited beside the cycle on the curb.

"Don't worry Bruce, it'll be fine, we'll wrap these kids up in no time." Clint said confidently.

"And be home in time for celebratory Shawarma!" Tony added.

"Why is it always Shawarma with this guy?" Clint muttered to himself.

Less than half an hour later, the clearing in the middle of the park was shrouded in an impenetrable thick mist on a sunlit day. The mutant jumper was draped across a tree limb unconscious while the blood-using mutant was knocked out on the grass beneath him. Iron Man struggled face down on the ground, covered with tree roots and vines that were steadily pulling him into the earth. Thor smashed his hammer ineffectually against the inside of a shrinking pink bubble that he was trapped in, while Hawkeye was bodily wrapped in a long grey tongue and being pounded repeatedly against a tree, by a green colored spotty teen. "Get-" Hawkeye yelled between slams. "The damned-" Barton breathed out painfully. "Hulk!" Hawkeye's com unit had fallen out of his ear after the first hit he had taken.

"Bruce, man, looks like we're going to need you after all, like _now_." Tony said urgently over his own com as JARVIS listed the flashing stats on the HUD. He could feel the wooden limbs tightening around him even through the armor as he thrashed, trying to pull away. The softer more malleable material of his newest suit began buckling under the intense pressure pressing in on him.

"You dare impede the mighty Thor!" Thor bellowed indignantly as he summoned lightening from the cloudless sky to strike his floating bubble from the outside, popping it and coincidentally burning off the surrounding mist for the moment.

"Uh, looks like help is on the way." Bruce replied tentatively.

"What kind of-" Hawkeye asked while still receiving a pounding. "Ow." Clint grated out. "-Help?"

"Hey, uh, Thor, buddy, mind setting us free here? If you're not to busy that is?" Iron Man's mechanical sarcastic voice sounded from his trapped suit. Thor fought recklessly against the bubble-wielding mutant, his face set in a rage-induced mask, deaf to all but the advisory in front of him. Barton was tossed aside by the Toad mutant to land bonelessly a few yards away. Tony was beginning to contemplate having JARVIS attempt to use the missiles on his back to blow his way out of the entangling limbs, when three more people entered the clearing where the blinding fog was once again appearing.

"Avenger's huh? Pathetic." Wolverine said as he looked over the hard-pressed heroes amidst the reaching tendrils of mist. Logan's claws lengthened as he loped into the fray with mutants Storm and Cyclops following close behind him.

With the X-Men joining them, the heroes quickly put the rest of the young mutants out of action. The six would be thieves lay unconscious, tied together in the middle of the glade. The X-Men walked over to the recovering Avengers. Hawkeye leaned against a tree, his head tilted up as he pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the blood flow. Thor still looked around heatedly for more villains to oppose him. Tony unraveled a root from around his neck as he checked the stability of his armor and its flight capabilities. Cyclops strode over to him, his shades flashing.

"Mutants are our responsibility, not yours Stark." Scott Summers rebuked as he shoved a finger hard at Iron Man's chest. Stark brushed him off with a flick of his hand.

"A crime's a crime, doesn't matter who did the deed or who stopped the bad guy, cause if it did that would be racism wouldn't it, are you a racist Mr. Cyclops?" Iron Man asked mock-innocently.

"That's not the point and you know it, Stark!" Scott snarled. Storm breathed a put upon sigh, ready to intervene between the two when Clint spoke up suddenly.

"Fhen where were fhe X-Men thirfy minutes ago when fhe bank was being robbed?" Hawkeye stuttered out defensively through his broken nose.

"None of your business, Nosy." Wolverine sneered. He suddenly moved over to join Cyclops by Iron Man's armor and sniffed. "You smell…off." Logan said. Iron Man snorted.

"Uh…I'm past my sell by date." Tony said moving back from Wolverine while trying to wipe some of the blood from his encounter with the blood-using mutant off of him. Thor, finally calmed from his berserker rage, moved next to Storm and bowed.

"Your talent's compliment mine own, my lady." Thor said. Storm smiled slightly.

"Thank you. Please leave the rest of the cleanup to us, and thank you for your assistance while we were otherwise occupied." She said reasonably.

"You're welcome, and for what it's worth, thanks for saving our collective asses." Tony said, swallowing his pride.

"You'll be sending fhem to fhe Big House fhen?" Clint asked painfully, gesturing toward the unconscious mutants.

"They're just kids." Cyclops said.

"Powerful kids who hurt people." Clint retorted.

"But still kids, bub. We take care of our own." Logan said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Yeaaah, well, that's our cue, we'll be off, see you around and all." Tony said waving his arm and defusing the tension. The teams nodded stiffly to each other and went their separate ways, the Avengers leaving the teens in the X-Men's capable hands. Iron Man helped Hawkeye as they stumbled from the clearing. They met Bruce at the edge of the park, waiting awkwardly by the cycle.

"Fhat…was _awful_." Clint choked out.

"Yeah, yeah it was." Tony agreed.

"I do not like going up against these mutants, but I think we would have had an easier time if the Captain had been with us." Thor said, his ancient eyes weighing Stark. Tony avoided his gaze, saying nothing as they both flew off to the tower, Clint and Banner silently riding home on the cycle.

"Fhanks for nofhing _Banner_." Clint said, his eyes trying to glare holes in Bruce's back after they had all arrived at the entrance.

"The Other Guy wouldn't have been much use against kids, unless you wanted them and the entire park torn into bloody pieces." Bruce insisted, leaving the cycle in Stark's personal valet's hands as they all entered together.

"I think you underestimate your other half green giant. I have seen much nobility in your other self. You shouldn't deny it so." Thor said. Bruce looked aside uncomfortably. Tony kept remarkably silent.

"I'll be in fhe med bay" Clint said after they had finally arrived at Avenger Tower, before heading to the 80th floor to fix himself up. "Fucking Fhursdays." He muttered to himself angrily as he staggered out of the elevator. The other two worn Superheroes plus a guilt-ridden Dr. Banner arrived on the common Avenger floor to have some dinner, which had become their usual routine. The elevator slid open and revealed two pretty women standing in the hallway before them.

"My lady Jane, you came!" Thor yelled happily surprised, before running to sweep the taller woman into his arms. Jane Foster's voice came out slightly muffled against the God's massive chest.

"I couldn't resist an invitation to the fabled Avenger tower-" Jane began.

"Besides London was getting boring." A young woman cut in. "Ah man, you're Tony Stark!" She finished ecstatically.

"I know." Tony said, turning on the charm. The woman appeared to be almost jumping up and down from excitement.

"I know you know, of course you know. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you!" She gushed. Jane Foster stepped forward, embarrassed.

"This is Darcy Lewis my erstwhile protégé." Jane said.

"Ms. Lewis." Tony said politely while holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Please call me Darcy, your work on nanonucleartechnology is unparalleled awesomeness, and I'm a huge fan of the way you built a tin can out of a box of scraps and now fight super villains." Tony was speechless for once as he shook the young woman's hand. Bruce Banner burst out laughing.

"Hey don't laugh." Tony said indignantly.

"I-" Bruce held his stomach as he almost cried as he laughed. "I just can't help it, doesn't she sound familiar?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Bruciebear." Tony said straight-faced. Overall, today had been a sterling day for Banner's win pile. He'd almost gotten Banner to call Hulk by his actual name, improved Bruce's self-defense and self-confidence, while also getting the guy more used to physical contact. But best of all, even after having that disastrous encounter in the park, Bruce was still able to laugh like that, and that…that was priceless. It was too bad that Tony himself was a complete and utter failure. Nothing had changed on that score. He'd almost gotten the team killed, and they hadn't even been facing an immense alien invasion, it had only been a couple of kid mutants. They really needed Captain America, and they needed him yesterday. Because he wasn't sure how long he could hold this team together on his own, and their time was only getting shorter.


	10. Chapter 10

(3.9m)abny

The sound of clanging echoed throughout the workshop, a sharp counterpoint to the loud rock music pounding through the shop speakers. Newfangled acid, holographic, and foam trapping arrows rested on a metal table, along with com units that would stay in someone's ear no matter the thrashing that person underwent, and the half finished plans for the upgraded version of the Iron Man suit. The recently completed holoschematics for the newest supervillian prison floated over a black desk. Tony Stark had been designing the Vault, _not_ the name he had come up with, in order to fulfill Stark Industries' U.S. government contractual obligations. He had buried himself beneath his tools and processors for nearly a month, suffering from what Pepper would call one of his blue moods. Tony sometimes just had to create, create, create or he'd go completely insane. Dozens of empty coffee cups littered the various work surfaces.

DUM-E poked at a half finished Iron Man cup on a desk and then rolled around to the arc reactor car that Tony was currently working on, ostensibly for S.I. but really for Pep. Tony would do anything for Pepper; even tackle the same hover car idea that Howard had tried to patent. Although _his_ version was going to work _and_ run completely on green energy, his people were already working on the promos for it. He'd given SHIELD the job of putting the first prototype through its paces. DUM-E's sensors whirled as the bot 'accidently' bumped into legs that stuck out from under the streamlined car. "Ow!" Tony rolled out from under the auto and prodded DUM-E's wheel. "Oy! One of these days Dummy, one of these days, pow straight to the moon, and then to some third rate SUNY college!" Tony warned. DUM-E rolled back a step and then rolled forward and bent his head down dolefully nudging at Tony's chest. Tony gave in with a sigh and patted the bot's head. "Fine, fine, go and make me a smoothie." DUM-E chirped happily and rolled over to his blender. "And hold the motor oil this time!" Tony called after him before returning to finish up the car.

"Sir?" JARVIS asked.

"Yeah?" Tony said, examining a loose coil on the undercarriage.

"There is a visitor requesting to see Dr. Banner." JARVIS said. Tony reached for his modified screwdriver.

"And have you told Bruce?" He asked absently as he secured the coil.

"I have tried Sir, but he isn't currently capable of hearing me at this time." The A.I. sounded…frustrated. Tony backed out from under the car.

"What do you mean J? Is he alright?" Tony looked at an eyecam worriedly.

"I can't rightly say Sir." JARVIS replied, hesitantly. Tony shot to his feet.

"Where is he?" Tony asked, already heading toward the door.

"The laboratory on his floor." JARVIS replied. Tony raced out the sliding glass door and sped for the open elevator waiting for him.

Tony arrived at Bruce's floor and slid through the lab doors that JARVIS had just begun opening for him before stopping in his tracks. Bruce Banner, serious super scientist extraordinaire and part-time Rock Hulkster was twerking about his lab with large headphones fitted over his head and a soft, relaxed look on his face. He moved to fiddle with his equipment while humming to himself, before swaying his hips as he danced around to check the readings on his computer on the opposite end of the lab. Bruce hadn't even noticed that Stark had entered. Tony gawked at the physicist. "JARVIS, tell me you are saving this." Tony said loudly. Bruce didn't hear him through the noise of the headphones. Tony could faintly hear tiny thumping music playing from where he stood.

"Already saved in triplicate on the Stark Cloud Sir." The A.I. replied calmly.

"Fantasmic." Tony commented, rubbing his hands together. He strolled over to Bruce and tapped the man's shoulder from behind. Banner jumped about a foot in the air before turning to look at Tony. He quickly pulled the headphones off as he flushed with embarrassment.

"Um, Tony, uh, hi?" Bruce said, before fussing with his glasses. Tony held out a hand palm up and bowed over it.

"Hey Miley, mind if I take the next dance?" Bruce cheeks colored an even deeper red.

"Uh…" Bruce said intelligently. Tony put his hand down and straightened up, shrugging.

"S'alright, I've definitely been caught doing way more embarrassing things. Hell, you can see half of them on Youtube." He said with a conspiratorial grin.

"Ah…" Bruce said, trying to smile back, while moving slyly to block the screen of his computer. Tony ducked around him for a look.

"Wait!" Bruce yelled, trying to pull Tony away. Tony stared determinedly at the screen, searching the numbers.

"So what's this? Hmm this is…you're working on a cure again aren't you?" Tony said sadly.

"So what if I am?" Bruce challenged.

"What happened to accepting Hulk and moving on with your life?" Tony retorted.

"What life?!" Bruce scoffed; he threw up his hands and stalked around the lab as if it were a cell. "I live a half life, less, I can't even go out for a walk in the park without worrying that I'll change and take out half the city!" Banner exploded, his glasses sliding down his nose.

"Hulk's not like that, _you're_ not like that." Tony insisted leaning one hand on the desk behind him. Bruce pushed his glasses up.

"How would you know?" Bruce asked, and then he gestured to himself. "You think this is a joke, that I'm a freakshow, a captive to your needs for the Other Guy, and a plaything for you to show off. You've never seen the real me, or the Other Guy when he's really angry. Humph, maybe you're about to." Bruce threatened as his eyes began to bleed green. Tony stood momentarily dumbfounded. _Is that really what you think of me? After all this time? _He thought. He snarked out loud.

"Is this because of what happened with the mutants? That was like forever ago man, and Clint doesn't mean to give you the cold shoulder you know, its not like you made the mean toad hit him, repeatedly, in the face." Tony said. Bruce's shoulders shrunk in on themselves as his eyes softened back to their usual hue.

"You guys needed me and I wouldn't help because the danger the Other Guy presented meant more to me than the threat to your own lives." Bruce said softly. Tony shook his head violently.

"That's…it turned out alright, bad guys defeated and all, you didn't have to fight." Tony said. Bruce turned to his computer.

"Maybe not, we were lucky, but what about next time, I can't be pressured into endangering everyone because the Avenger's need me to be something else." Bruce said.

"It isn't like that." Tony denied.

"Isn't it? You want me to change into him more than anyone." Bruce accused.

"Because he isn't a threat, or a disease to be cured, you only see him that way because you've never met." Tony said seriously. Bruce's shoulders tightened.

"I've met his victims. With this lab and equipment, I'll finally be able to find a cure, and for that I'm thankful Tony, I'm thankful for everything you've given me, but don't expect me to be thankful for the Other Guy, he didn't save my life, he stole it and I'm going to get it back." Bruce shook with the emotions coursing through him, fighting to not let it change him. Tony sighed and took pity on the scientist; he reached out and hesitantly put a hand on his back.

"Then I'll back you."

"You will?" Bruce said looking up, surprised.

"Always man, you're my science bro, that comes with some major perks. If this is what you really want, then it's your choice." Tony said.

"I don't know what to say Tony." Bruce said wonderingly. Tony threw up a dismissive hand.

"Don't say anything, I find that's usually the best policy. Annnyways, I had originally come down to tell you that you've got a visitor." Tony said, trying to leave the tension behind. Bruce's head snapped up so fast that Tony feared the man would get whiplash.

"Who?!" Fear and hope warred for dominance on Banner's stressed face. There weren't all that many people that could want to visit him, and just about all of them would want to hurt him. And Betty, she could hurt him worse than any of them.

"Jarv?" Tony questioned.

"A Mrs. Reed is requesting admittance." JARVIS said. Bruce blinked.

"Oh." Bruce said. Tony clapped the man on the back.

"You sure like to live dangerously buddy, hitting on not just a married woman, but on Reed's squeeze, wow, just wow, you've got some big cahones." Tony said with admiration in his voice. Bruce startled, blushing as he shook Tony off.

"What? I have no idea why she's here!" Bruce said earnestly.

"Oh no? Then lets go find out shall we Brucie dear?" Tony had JARVIS invite Mrs. Reed to meet them on the Avenger common floor, while they both traveled down. Darcy sat on a couch in the great room, flipping through channels on the wall screen, while sipping a cold frappuccino. She turned around as Bruce and Tony entered. She raised her drink in greeting.

"Hey boys, how's tricks?" Darcy Lewis asked playfully.

"Good morning Darcy." Bruce said.

"Who's up for coffee?" Tony said, heading to the machine he kept in the common kitchen.

"The machine's broken." Darcy said offhandedly.

"Again?" Tony growled coffee deprived. Darcy nodded.

"Thor had an argument with it, 'Oh, spirit powering this device, I, Thor god of thunder and muscles demand you make liquid energy for my lady fair!' Darcy said in a deep and booming voice while pantomiming wielding mojnier, "-or something like that, oh and he offers his apologies once again Tony."

"When doesn't he? And does the guy have to kill every technological device on every single floor?" Tony asked the heavens.

"I'm pretty sure he does." Darcy said seriously.

"And he wonders why I don't invite him up to the workshop." Tony said.

"Or my lab." Bruce added. Darcy got up from the couch and sauntered over to the pair.

"So how about getting some lunch and coffee out?" Darcy asked setting her drink down in the kitchen.

"We're expecting a visitor." Bruce said regretfully.

"Oh poo, and I though you two had finally left your boring man caves to visit little ol me." Darcy said, trying to clap her hands on both their shoulders, both men moved away quickly. Tony moved over to her drink and looked at it suspiciously.

"This is from my secret stash isn't it?" Tony asked.

"Not so secret anymore, and yeah probably, Clint found it." Darcy said.

"In my pantry, on my floor..." Stark said slowly. Darcy backed away with her hands upraised.

"Which is sooo not my fault by the way, if you're angry, and you kind of look angry, what with that whole red pinched face you've got going there, so to reiterate not _my_ fault, Clint's fault." Darcy said, before ducking behind the kitchen's island.

"That it, I'm sealing the air vents. You hear me Clint? Air? Who needs air, you don't steal my Starkbuck fraps without incurring my wrath!" Tony yelled to the room at large, expecting the spy to hear him. Darcy looked at him curiously.

"Note to self, do not mess with Stark's caffeine." She said, eyes wide.

"You should have seen what happened to Reed when he used his abilities to steal Tony's Jumbo Voodoo Coffee from behind his back. It was hilarious, and scary, very, very scary." Susan said as she appeared from thin air and was kneeling beside Darcy behind the island. Tony ceased ranting and bent over the counter to look down at them.

"Oh, hey Susan, how you been, and what's this about you coming to see my Brucie behind Richard's back?" He asked. Susan smiled and stood. She had a wrapped package tucked beneath her arm.

"Hardly behind his back, and _your_ Brucie? I didn't know." Susan smiled at Bruce charmingly.

"It's not like that." Bruce said shrugging a shoulder.

"He's in denial." Tony said wrapping an arm around Bruce's waist, which Bruce allowed with a sigh. Darcy pulled them apart.

"They are both soaked in it." Darcy said.

"So is this a private visit or are we all invited, because I already invited myself, and oh yeah, this is Darcy, I suppose you two haven't met. Darcy Lewis this is Susan Reed the Invisible Woman, in case you hadn't guessed, and Susan this is Darcy." Tony rambled while gesturing to both women. Darcy held out her hand.

"Nice to meet cha." She said. Susan returned the shake.

"And you as well." Susan said smiling pleasantly. "And I am here, Dr. Banner, to give you this. Reed and I thought you could use them." Susan said handing over the brown package. Bruce opened it cautiously, and revealed purple pants that were the same material as the Fantastic Four's outfits. Susan smiled warmly, waiting for his reaction. Bruce just held the cloth in his hands.

"Bad timing." Tony murmured. Mrs. Reed's smile faltered for a moment before resurfacing.

"I thought the purple suited you, and you're alter ego as well. It will shrink back to your size when you do and does not need to be sent to the dry cleaners which would be a hassle." Susan chuckled. Bruce looked up and forced a smile on his face.

"Thank you for this, you can't know what this means to me." Bruce said. Darcy stared at Bruce perceptively.

"You're welcome! I'll send Reed your compliments shall I?" Susan said obliviously. Bruce nodded silently. Susan turned to Tony. "Oh and Reed has sent over the readings he got from that wormhole, he seemed pretty excited about it, overly excited actually. He'd like to get your opinion as soon as you could look it over." Susan said.

"Sure, I'll give it a gander, and Dr. Banner can give it a look over too, can't ya, Bruce?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, Tony." Bruce said. Darcy hopped up onto the counter.

"And wormholes are Jane's specialty, you should give her a lookieloo too." She said. Susan arched an eyebrow.

"_Jane_? How many women _are_ living with you Mr. Stark?" She asked. Tony winked.

"Never enough Susan. Jane Foster is Thor's astrophysicist girlfriend." Tony said.

"Oh, the god of Thunder, I'd love to meet him!" Susan enthused.

"He's currently with Jane, enjoying the god size bed that Tony's given them." Darcy said meaningfully. Susan blushed.

"Oh, well another time then." Susan said awkwardly before heading towards the elevator.

"Thanks for coming, you're always welcome here ya know." Tony said.

"Thank you. You really should come visit us sometime, and not just when we are being attacked by gigantic aliens cephalopods, okay?" Susan asked.

"Fine, but tell Reed no taking my special impossible to find coffee, or there will be war." Tony said.

"I will, and I'm sure he's learned his lesson from last time. I'll be seeing you Tony, bye Dr. Banner, and nice meeting you Darcy." Susan said, waving as she entered the elevator.

"You too!" Darcy yelled. Before letting the elevator take her down, Susan raised a hand calling Stark's attention.

"Oh and Tony?" Tony looked up.

"Yeah?" He asked. Susan smiled at him.

"You're looking good." She said simply.

"Good?" Tony asked, confused. Her smile widened.

"I'm just glad you're taking care of yourself." Susan said.

"Right." Tony said, his brow furrowing as the elevator closed.

"So now we can have coffee and food, right?" Darcy asked jumping down from the island counter. Tony shrugged off his thoughts before turning to the young woman.

"Why not? I know an awesome burger joint not far from here. You coming Brucie?" Tony asked looking at Banner. Bruce stared at the fabric still resting in his hands.

"Bruce?" Tony said waving a hand in front of his face. Bruce startled.

"Um, what?" He asked.

"Are you coming with us for life giving coffee and the best burgers in town?" Tony said slowly. Bruce gripped the fabric in a fist as his arm dropped down to his side.

"Um, actually I left something on in the lab, I think I'll sit this one out, I'm really not all that hungry." Bruce said.

"You sure?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I'll make something later." Bruce said. Tony nodded reluctantly.

"Your loss." Darcy said as she and Tony left the common floor for the best burger joint in town, leaving Bruce to wander up to his lab. He threw the pants against a far wall and began to obsessively immerse himself once more into the calculations that he knew would cure him.

Darcy Lewis and Tony Stark sat in a corner booth of a diner. Tony wore shades and an Iron Man baseball cap pulled low over his head. Darcy fiddled with a ring on her finger as they nursed their second cups of coffee and waited for their food to arrive. A small TV showing a baseball game played on the wall in the corner. She glanced at the flat iron grill behind the counter.

"So have they ever cleaned that thing?" Darcy asked. Tony glanced over at the filth-covered grill that their juicy burgers were currently sitting on.

"Not since '79." He said. Darcy snorted.

"And they say English food is bad." She said. Tony tapped on the table.

"Hey, that grill has _decades_ of flavor imbued in it, how do you think they get such a banging burger, don't knock it till you've tried it." Tony said.

"The burger or the flesh eating disease I'm sure to get from it?" Darcy asked.

"Both." Tony said. Darcy laughed.

"It's almost too bad that I have a loving fiancé I have to get back to in London." Darcy said wistfully, folding her arms on the red tabletop.

"Poor guy." Tony muttered loudly.

"Lucky guy, you mean?" Darcy snapped.

"Isn't that what I said?" Tony asked innocently. Darcy smiled.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, I've been away from Ian long enough." She said taking a deep drink of blissful coffee.

"We'll miss you." Tony said seriously.

"I don't know how you guys will carry on without me, but you'll have to try somehow." Darcy said. Tony nodded solemnly.

"We'll do our best." He said.

"You know it was a real hoot meeting you. And if I didn't have a fantastic fiancé and you were more you and I was less me…" She said, trailing off meaningfully.

"You'd run from my bedroom screaming." Tony completed with a grin.

"Faster than a speedster, hero." Darcy said, returning his grin. The waitress arrived with their plates and put them in front of them. Darcy looked down at her plate worryingly. "You did say this wasn't going to kill me, right?" She asked. Tony took a big bite of his.

"Only by clogging your arteries." He mumbled through the burger in his mouth.

"Kay, here it goes." Darcy said reaching down for the gooey burger and taking a small bite. "Oh my God, that's it I'm taking this diner with me to London." Darcy said, devouring the meal. Tony mock glared at her.

"Don't you dare-" He began as the TV in the corner began playing an emergency newsbreak. Three helicarriers were battling above the skies of Washington, DC. Darcy gaped in horror as she saw a falling figure fall off one of the carriers. Tony watched the broadcast for a moment before lifting a finger to his ear and turning on his shades.

"Shit. JARVIS?" Tony asked. "Uploading a flight plan immediately, Sir." JARVIS stated in his ear as stats showed up on his glasses.

"You've got to go." Darcy said calmly. Tony threw his wallet on the table, and then took out a flask from his inner pocket.

"Sorry, put the doggy bag in the fridge for me." Tony said as he left the dinner, emptying out his suit to surround him in engulfing metallic sand.

"Will do, hero." Darcy said to the empty air as Iron Man flew away towards DC.

_Darcy called me a hero, sometimes I wish I were._ Tony thought as he reached the capital 35 minutes later, far too late to do anything. The least he could do was to help with some of the rescue effort. After helping a woman out of some rubble he heard on SHIELD's coms that Captain America was missing. Tony scanned the river and its banks, searching for some sign that the Captain had survived the horrible crash. The guy had made it through seventy years on ice; a little swim should be a cakewalk. He had to be all right. After searching for almost an hour, he finally found him, lying face up on the bank. His armor could tell that the man's heart was beating and that he was breathing steadily, but he was out cold. Tony gently bent down to pick Steve up and fly him to the nearest hospital cradled in his metal arms, letting his leg and shoulder repulsors do the flying for him.

He reluctantly let the doctors take Steve's body from him and place him on a gurney. Tony then made sure that he would have a private room of his own with an armed guard on at all times before going to the parking lot outside and making the call to Fury. After notifying the man of Cap's survival, and getting a few clues as to what had been going on with SHIELD, Tony headed back inside to sit with Captain America. The doctors had stated that Steve had suffered a bad knock on his head, but should recover fully.

Tony sat beside him, wondering why everything he did stank of failure. Why Captain America _the_ legend his da- Howard went on and on about actually did live up to the legend; who was in fact better than the legend. To uncover a plot to kill millions and save the world was all in a day's work for Captain bloody America. The guy could barely use a cell phone, and yet here he was one-upping, him, the futurist, Howard would say it was only to be expected. Tony stared down at the perfect sleeping face before him. This was what a hero really was, and Tony, he just couldn't compare. He left before the sun came up and headed back home.

Steve woke up when he heard low jazz music playing, saw he was in a hospital with Sam Wilson by his side and wondered why in his dreams, Bucky pulled him from water and Iron Man held him gently.


	11. Chapter 11

(4m)abny

The sun was rising steadily in the sky, and Tony was marveling at the fact that he was barely tired at all. He'd been awake for, well he wasn't sure how many days he been awake for. JARVIS would know, but he didn't want to ask him, for reasons. But he did know he had been up for a while, first there had been his inventing binge, then tweaking Harriet Lola mark two, eating with Darcy, racing to Washington, helping the rescue effort and the clean up, finding Cap, staying with him all night… Basically he should be completely wiped, but instead he was totally wired though he did have a severe craving for liquid caffeine. The hospital coffee had been god-awful and he fully intended on cutting them a check to fix that, bad enough if you were stuck in a hospital in the first place, you shouldn't then be subjected to black liquid funeral like that on top of everything else. Tony was currently speeding his way cross-country back to New York when a call popped up on his HUD. When he saw the ID his heart clenched at the sight but he glanced to the right to answer. "What's up?"

"Tony why didn't you tell me?" Pepper's voice echoed angrily within his helmet. Thoughts of his recent activities passed through his head, had she caught a glimpse of him on TV, god he hoped not.

"Tell you what Pep?" He asked flippantly as he flew low over a lake, the surface rising around him in two walls as he shot past.

"Don't play coy with me!" She shouted.

"I thought you liked me being coy." He would have face palmed if he wasn't flying. Awkward silence filled the line. _Don't flirt Tony, you lost the right to do that when you broke up with her._ He tried to recover from his blunder. "Uh, can I get a hint here?" He asked desperately, raising an eyebrow she couldn't see.

"You've been hiding Jane Foster from me." She said, taking up her sharp tone again. Tony could picture her in his mind's eye, fire kissed hair tied back professionally, eye's piercing and glaring, and her lips quirked in a secret smile reserved just for him while she gave him a dressing down. _God he missed her._

"Hiding is such an ugly word Pep, more like purposely misplacing." Tony snarked.

"Are you saying you've purposely misplaced the astrophysicist who is revolutionizing everything we know about transdimensional wormholes?" She asked.

"Uh, maybe?" Tony replied.

"And you do know how beneficial it would be if she was employed by S.I.?" Pepper asked.

"We did ask her to join before." He pointed out, reasonably.

"No, _you_ asked her, and that was before her boyfriend became part of your superhero club and she started living with you. I'm already in New York, I'll be at the Tower in 15 minutes, traffic permitting, and I expect an introduction, and breakfast." Tony checked how far he was from the Tower, trying to figure out if he had enough time to pick them up some IHOP on the way and some proper coffee.

"And you'll get it Pepper, I'm currently out, but I'll be there soon, so let yourself in." There was a crackle of static on the line as he sped through a small town. He was nothing more than a red and gold streak shooting through the sky. "Pep?" He asked.

"You haven't been doing anything dangerous, have you?" Pepper asked haltingly.

"You know me Pep." Tony said.

"That's what worries me." She said sadly before ending the call.

Tony entered the Tower 24 minutes later, a large IHOP bag swinging from one arm. He flew through the open windows on the Avenger common floor and disengaged the suit, the replicating sand returning to its container as he landed and dropped the breakfast onto an end table. He turned and bowed when he saw he had an audience watching him. Happy clapped enthusiastically, Thor joined him after a moment, wondering if this was some Midgardian custom he was unaware of. Jane stared curiously at the flask that he tucked inside his jacket. Pepper just shook her head, smiling at his antics. He froze when he met Pepper's eyes; he hadn't seen her in person, (three months, one week, four days) since he'd broken off with her during the WSC incident. His eyes drank her in like a dying man in a desert, and he knew what that felt like, intimately. She looked much the same as he'd left her, sexy and sad, and very Pepper. If he didn't love her so much he'd fall in love with her all over again. But he was too broken and far too dangerous. What puzzled him was her expression. She had a strange look on her face as she stared at him, as if she were looking at a stranger. "I'm afraid you just missed saying goodbye to Darcy." Jane's voice chimed in. Tony pulled himself away to look toward Jane.

"Awezz. Darcy's cool beans, I'm gonna miss her." Tony said, he noticed Happy looking at him oddly out of the corner of his eye. Pepper raised a hand to her head for a moment as if confused, before looking around at the present company.

"Who's Darcy?" She asked, curious.

"My long time protégé who came to visit Avenger Tower with me." Jane responded.

"Oh. She sounds nice. I'd have liked to meet her." Pepper said her voice lilting. Tony shook his head.

"Its probably for the best you missed her Pep, she's like a mini me, only with more you know…boobs." Tony said gesturing towards himself.

"Well in that case I've just dodged a bullet, guy or gal, there should only be one Tony Stark." Pepper joked. "So aren't you going to introduce us?" Pepper asked tilting her head slightly towards Jane. Tony strode forward quickly and clapped his hands.

"Oh right! Jane, this is my ex-PA/ex-girlfriend/currently awesome boss Pepper Potts." Pepper smiled at the rambling introduction. "Pepper this is Jane Foster, astrophysicist and Thor's sweetheart." Pepper and Jane shook hands. Tony continued by introducing Thor and Happy. "Thor this is Happy Hogan, boxer and bodyguard extraordinaire." Happy looked at the buff god suspiciously. "Happy, this is Thor Odinson, god of loud booming sounds and destroyer of all my coffee machines." Thor grimaced apologetically at Tony and then clasped Happy's forearm in greeting.

"You have an auspicious name." Thor said.

"Thanks, uh, you too." Happy said, the suspicion fading from his face as Thor grinned unrestrainedly at him.

"There I've introduced everyone, can we have breakfast now?" Tony asked impatiently motioning over to the IHOP bag. Thor approached the food and squinted at it.

"Why does this bag say it jumps, I detect no movement." Thor wondered out loud before leaning down to address the food. "Food bag, are you sentient?" Thor asked while poking the bag on the table gingerly. Pepper giggled and Tony hid his suddenly shaking hands deep within his pockets.

Tony Stark lay on his side on the couch in his workshop nursing a glass of scotch. The glass shook slightly in his hand, his other hand reached out to steady it as he pulled the glass to his mouth to take another swallow. The bots rested in their charging stations and Tony wondered how pathetic it would be to call for them to come and irritate him. "Sir?" JARVIS asked solemnly, interrupting his thoughts. Tony looked at he eyecam above him.

"What is it J?" Tony asked. The A.I. paused for a moment.

"…Perhaps it would be best if you informed the oth-" JARVIS started cautiously.

"They can't do anything for me JARVIS." Tony snapped dismissively. JARVIS hesitated.

"Sir, Dr. Banner might-" JARVIS began. Tony slashed the hand not holding the glass in the air viciously.

"He's busy enough with his own problems. Besides, you know I've sent scans and blood work to Pym, if he can't find a solution, well then that's that. It's not as if I haven't been through this before J." Tony said.

"Then you ought to be aware from past experience that you should at least inform Ms. Potts of the issue." JARVIS said. Tony's face twisted sadly.

"I'm not her problem anymore JARVIS, she's free of me, I can't, I just can't hurt her anymore." He said wretchedly.

"I'm sorry Sir." The A.I. said sadly. Tony sighed before rolling to his feet and moving to his desk, drink in hand. His shaking hands finally stilled.

"S'not your fault J." Tony said. The doors to the workshop abruptly slid open as Pepper walked in, her jimmy choes clacking against the floor. Tony quickly put his glass down and waved at her with a grin. "Hey, Pep. Sorry, I know I left the meeting/merrymaking early but I've got like loads of work to do, as you know, what with you being my boss an' all, not that I have a problem with that, cause I don't, you're a billion times better than me at CEOing, and the company couldn't be in better hands or prettier ones." _Why brain to mouth filter, why can't you work!?_ Tony thought agitatedly. "Um, right, so did you manage to get Jane to join the S.I. clubhouse?" Tony finished lamely. Pepper allowed the change of subject gracefully.

"She'll take the job with us so long as we provide her with certain perks." She said.

"Perks?" Tony asked. Pepper looked briefly toward the nearly empty glass of scotch sitting on the table.

"Freedom to research and invent whatever she wants, access to any materials she requires, you know, the usual." Pepper said. Tony nodded.

"I see." Tony paused. "And I know I didn't ask, but how has Happy been doing?" He asked, his arms folded in front of him.

"He's good Tony, though you should head down and ask him yourself. I know he would love to go a round with you in the ring, he misses you." Tony stared off into the distance. "It wasn't your fault he got hurt, he doesn't blame you." Pepper insisted. Tony unfolded his arms.

"I know." He said unconvincingly.

"Tony you don't need to-" Pepper Potts cut herself short with a wince. "You've never needed to lie to me." She said fervently, her mouth a thin line. Tony bustled himself about the workshop fiddling with his holograms.

"I do have work to finish Pep, you can see that." Tony said motioning to the completed and half completed projects on the worktables. Pepper moved further into the shop.

"You know what I mean, don't pretend to be stupid, it doesn't suit you." She said.

"Annd ouch." Tony said. She reached out a hand to him. He shifted away from her, leaving her hand hanging in the air as he moved behind his desk. Her shoulders sagged slightly as her hand sank beside her.

"You look different." Pepper said. Tony looked up and slicked back his hair as he struck a pose.

"Good different, bad different, or just different different?" He asked comically, though beneath his snark he looked nervous. Pepper strode to the opposite side of the desk, leaned forward and pulled at the front of Tony's shirt.

"Tony look at me." She demanded seriously. Tony looked her in the eye as she studied his face, she could smell the liquor on his breath. "You look healthier, and younger, years younger." She finally said, shocked, as her eyes widened. Tony shrugged, feeling the pull of her hand on the fabric of his shirt.

"Well that's good isn't it?" He said flippantly. Pepper let go of him and pulled back. Her eyes looked toward the ground and then back up at him.

"It's strange Tony. What are you doing to yourself?" She asked while rubbing her arms, shaken.

"It's nothing you need to stress over, I've got everything well in hand." Tony said avoiding her searching gaze.

"Won't you tell me what's going on? I care about you Tony, I want to help and you're worrying me." She said.

"I don't mean to Pep." Tony said, his eyes hangdog. Pepper waited for an explanation she knew would never come. She shook her head sadly.

"I know you don't. You never do." She said. Tony moved around the desk to lean against it beside her. They shared the silence for a long minute before Tony broke it.

"You would have grown to hate me, you know." He said matter-of-factly.

"And before long you would have hated me too." Pepper said. Tony's head whipped around.

"Never!" He stated in fervent denial. Pepper rested a hand on his.

"Don't say never Tony, its too long and too dishonest for either of us. I couldn't be what you needed, and you couldn't be what I wanted. I'm actually glad you made the decision to break it off." She admitted. Tony's wounded heart broke a little further.

"You are?" He asked softly. Pepper looked deeply into his eyes.

"I would never have been strong enough to make that choice, to hurt you like that, giant bunny aside." She said with a gentle smile.

"You said you liked it." Tony muttered back.

"I said a lot of things when I was with you." Pepper said.

"And did you mean any of them?" Tony asked, before turning away in embarrassment at the emotional line. Pepper suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around Tony, holding him tightly against her.

"Oh Tony, only the important ones." She said into his neck.

"I love you Peps, and I'll miss the awesome sex." Tony whispered back.

"And I'll always love you Tony, and the sex was fantastic. But thanks to you I do have a company to run." Pepper said as she reluctantly unwrapped her arms around him so that she could leave.

"Don't work too hard." Tony said. Pepper turned before leaving.

"Please take care of yourself Tony, and if you can't share your troubles with me, please just…share them with someone." Tony smiled at her brokenly.

"Will that be all Ms. Potts?" He asked reversing their age-old joke.

"That will be all Mr. Stark." Pepper said tenderly.

Pepper Potts left Tony in his workshop and took the elevator down to pick up Happy on the Avengers' floor. While in the elevator she took a tissue from her purse and used it to dry her tearing eyes. She'd been able to hold out till she had left the workshop. She never wanted Tony to see her cry again, especially if he was the cause. When she got off at the floor she stopped when she saw that Thor, Jane, and Happy were all watching Downton Abbey together. They sat next to each other on the sofa and watched the show on a screen that took up the entirety of the wall. She stared in amazement as Thor the Norse God of Thunder asked, "Why would this servant go to such painful lengths to fix his weakness when all accept him as he is, including his Lord?"

"Men do strange things when they are in love, particularly when they love someone they believe they are unworthy of." Happy explained.

"Very true, you are a wise man Happy Hogan." Thor boomed.

"Shhh." Jane shushed, slapping one of Thor's sturdy arms as she avidly watched the program. Thor quieted and returned to watching the TV.

"We've got to go, Happy." Pepper broke in quietly, tapping him on the shoulder. Happy jumped up and rushed over to her.

"Oh. Right, Ms. Potts. I've already seen this one fifty times anyway." He said before he and Pepper said their goodbyes to the couple. Happy followed Pepper into the elevator; leaving the pair behind to enjoy the show he'd put them onto.

"I've told you a million times Happy, its Pepper." She said exasperated.

"Yes, Ms. Potts." Happy said doggedly as they left the Tower. They picked up their limo from the valet, Happy driving them as per usual. As they pulled onto the road and began to head for the airstrip the limo's locks all clicked ominously.

"Happy did you just lock all the doors?" Pepper asked.

"No Ms. Potts." Happy said as he tried to unlock them, pressing the buttons repeatedly. "The automatic locks don't seem to be working. They'll probably reset themselves when I turn the car off." Pepper was shifting through texts on her phone when it abruptly turned off. She tried to turn it back on again when she heard Happy curse. "Shit!" Happy exclaimed.

"What?!" Pepper asked. She was starting to get a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Happy was trying to wrench the wheel in front of him and was also slamming all his weight onto the breaks. He lifted his hands and she saw that the wheel was steering itself as they made a sudden turn down a side road.

"I can't move the wheel or the pedals, I'm not driving the car!" Happy tried moving the gear shift and even pulled the keys out of the ignition but the car still sped along the road.

"Then who is?" Pepper asked fearfully. The TV screen embedded in the seat in front of her switched on and showed a face that was very familiar to her.

"Hello Pepper." Said the woman she knew to be dead.

"Maya!?" Pepper cried.


	12. Chapter 12

(4m)abny

After Pepper had left, Tony tried to distract himself from their intense conversation by finishing the rest of his scotch and skimming through his neglected emails. He leaned back in his chair when he noticed the one Richards had sent him the other day. He quickly forwarded a copy to Bruce and Jane's email before reading through it himself. His eyes slowly widened as he scanned the contents. As if there wasn't enough to be going on with.

If Reed's calculations were correct, and it certainly seemed like they were at first glance, then it looked as if their random encounter with a space squid might not have been as random as it had appeared. In fact, according to Richards, the wormhole that had opened at the exact same time as the ones in London hadn't been a coincidence at all. The dimentional fabric surrounding their world has been compromised, weakened, by all the recent invasions into Earth's space. And right now the dimentional bubble encasing us looked more like Swiss cheese than a protective bubble. And _something_ was taking advantage of that weakness by trying to force its way into our world through the thinnest rips in our fabric of space.

One of those weak spots was above the Baxter Building, another was above Wakanda, and the last was right above where he was currently sitting. Tony Stark cringed as he looked at the ceiling above him, imagining the possibilities. He started JARVIS running simulations on how they might be able to fix the problem. What Reed was saying was more than worrying. But it was still far down on his list of concerns at the moment. Well not that far down, maybe like third or forth.

"Tony!" Bruce yelled exuberantly as he entered the workshop. Tony swung around in his chair, startled at both his entrance and excitement.

"Hey Bruce, that was quick." Tony said. Bruce tilted his head at him.

"What was quick?" He asked.

"Didn't you just read the email I sent you?" Tony asked. Bruce gave a short shake of his head, his hair back to its more shaggy length, flopped around his face.

"What? No. Um, actually I think I've just discovered a compound that will cure the Hulk once and for all, and I need you to work on plans for a Beta ray emitter, while I work on manufacturing the serum." Tony noticed how happy Bruce seemed. The man was actually…bubbly, something Tony had never thought he'd call the physicist.

"Beta rays, that's a good idea." Tony said thoughtfully.

"I thought so, so will you work on it?" Bruce asked. Tony squirmed as he messed with the holograms in front of him.

"Oh, that's…Yeah, I'll get right on that." Tony said. Bruce's squinted at him through his glasses.

"You did say you would help." Bruce accused. Tony looked up.

"And I meant it buddy, I've just got a lot on my plate at the moment." Bruce looked around the workshop at the half completed and completed S.I. projects, including the mostly finished Arc Car.

"I can see that." He said stiffly as he turned to head back to his own lab. Tony shot up out of his seat and ran for Bruce, catching his arm and stopping the man.

"Wait, wait, I'll get started on the device, just check your email would ya, this thing with Richards' it could be really important, well it probably is, I'd say it mostly is." Tony said. Bruce looked at him hard.

"And me being cured isn't?" He said softly. Tony sighed, letting go of Bruce, and running a hand through his hair.

"_Not_ what I meant, OK, you know what, never mind, just ignore me, so how are you doing otherwise?" Tony asked with a tired smile. Bruce sighed.

"Good Tony." Bruce said, trying to smile.

"Good." Tony replied awkwardly. Bruce turned to face him fully.

"Oh, and I meant to ask, have you seen Hawkeye lately?" Bruce asked. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Hawkeye?" He asked.

"The man with the bow and arrows who enjoys soda, and has an unhealthy obsession with the color purple, both the movie and the actual color?" Bruce asked. _Annnd that's Bruce making a joke, which is good, but weird_, Tony thought.

"Oh him, no I haven't, but according to JARVIS, he's still in the building. Why do you ask?" Tony asked curiously.

"I haven't see him during the past two weeks and I'm just a little…" Bruce trailed off.

"Worried about him?" Tony supplied.

"Concerned. What can I say, I'm just not crazy about having an angry SHIELD assassin hiding within the walls." Bruce said.

"I told you he isn't angry at you, he was just giving you the silent treatment, which you should actually be thankful for." Tony said.

"Still I think you should find out what's up with him." Bruce said.

"I'll add it to my list, hey, why don't you go talk to him?" Tony asked. Bruce shrugged.

"It's your Tower Tony, and I have work to get back too." Bruce said before turning to leave.

"Of course you do." Tony said under his breath.

"And don't forget the Beta ray machine!" Bruce called behind him as he left.

"Bruce doing Science without me while I go deal with a deranged assassin, how is this my life?" Tony muttered to himself. Yeah Reed's more than likely major disaster is definitely fourth on his list.

Happy tried to kick out the glass of the limo's window. However, Tony Stark himself had designed the glass to be bullet and short-range missile proof and therefore Happy proof. The windows were also completely tinted, so that no one could see inside. All their defenses were being used against them, ironically trapping them within their own armor. And to top it all off, neither of their phones were working, no doubt thanks to Maya. And all the while Maya Hansen spoke, her voice calm and conceited. "I'm sorry I had to do this Pepper, but it was necessary." Pepper thought the woman looked pretty good for a zombie.

"I thought you were dead." Pepper said. Maya smirked on the screen as the car made another turn down a deserted street.

"Tony and Killian were certainly supposed to think so." She said smugly.

"How did you…? Oh my god, you were on Extremis!" Pepper exclaimed, slapping her forehead. Maya pointed a finger at her.

"Got it in one. Tony always did like the smart ones." She said.

"But what do you want with me?" Pepper asked, Happy still desperately pounding on the widows and now trying to beep the car horn.

"I want to perfect the Extremis formula." Maya said simply.

"Tony told me you had changed your mind about arming the Extremis virus." Pepper said. Maya winced.

"And then Killian shot me, luckily I was secretly taking small amounts of Extremis myself at the time or I would be dead, it took hours for me to heal, and I experienced every excruciating moment of it as the virus slowly pushed the bullet out of me." Maya said. Pepper glared.

"And so now…what? You've decided doing the right thing wasn't worth it?" Pepper snapped. Maya shook her head.

"No, I just want to live and I need the formula perfected in order to do that." She said a maniacal gleam in her eye. Pepper tried to speak sense to the woman.

"Tony isn't going to give that to you even if it's to save you, or me, we aren't even together anymore." She finished, her face emotionless. Maya grinned.

"Oh, I know that, he wouldn't give up the formula when we were _torturing_ you and that was when you two _were_ an item, I can't see him giving it up now, however he has already given it to me." She said. Pepper frowned.

"What do you mean?" Pepper asked.

"You, Pepper. You are the formula. The perfected Extremis is in your blood, thanks to Tony. He fixed you, and now you're going to fix me." Maya said. The car finally rolled to a stop in inside the middle of an abandoned warehouse. Then the middle of the floor with the limo on it began to descend into an underground facility with people in yellow jumpsuits moving about. "Welcome to Aim."

Tony approached the hatch in the vent that was nearest Clint's location with a stepladder in hand. He put the ladder down and climbed into the dark of the ventilation shaft. He reached into his breast pocket for his phone, checking that the bright blue dot that showed Clint's current location hadn't moved. JARVIS had pinpointed him by using the life sign sensors he had equipped throughout the Tower. Tony used the phone to light his way as he crawled awkwardly down the shaft. He pulled himself along with one hand and elbow and pushed forward with his sneakers. Feeling the metal and shadows enclosing around him from all sides, Tony couldn't help but wonder why Barton enjoyed spending so much time in here. After about 10 minutes of crawling, the light from Tony's phone shown off the reflective black metal of Hawkeye's bow. "Hawkeye, do you mind getting the hell out of my walls before I call the exterminators." Tony said flippantly to the assassin who was slowly being revealed by the bright glow of his Starkphone. Clint with days of scruff on his face crouched in an alcove curled around his bow, blinking owlishly at the light. A grate behind him overlooked a dimly lit elevator shaft.

"Get out of here Stark!" Barton snarled, trying to back away from the light and into the steel wall of the shaft beside him. _Back to Stark again are we?_ Tony thought as he placed the phone on the floor between them and settled himself cross-legged on the floor.

"My Tower, my vents, my rules, now can we conversate in the real world like actual, dare I say, adults, or do we have to do this in here?" Tony asked with a mock shiver.

"Do what?" Clint asked stubbornly.

"Sir, there is a security bre -" JARVIS began in his earpiece.

"Not now J." Tony cut him off. Clint looked confused in the harsh glow.

"What?" Barton asked.

"Not you, fine in here it is then." Tony muttered, seeing that the marksman had no intention to move. He looked around at the bare steel surrounding them, empty soda cans and poptart boxes. A large pile of straightened paperclips sat by Clint's knee. "Gotta say Hawkeye, I like what you've done with the place." Hawkeye's face twisted strangely.

"Don't call me that!" Hawkeye snapped with a hint of an accent on his tongue. Tony looked taken aback.

"What? Hawkeye? Isn't that your codename?" Tony asked, confused and worried.

"Just don't call me that!" Hawkeye reiterated, a crazed gleam in his eyes.

"God, what is up with you dude?" Tony asked.

"There's nothing _up_ with me!" Clint yelled.

"Then why are you hiding up here like a dumped emo teen?" Tony retorted.

"I'm not hiding." Clint insisted.

"Sure you aren't Loxley, so what are you doing then?"

"It has nothing to do with you! Just go back to your machines and leave me alone Tony." Clint said as he began collecting the sharp paperclips and fondling them nervously in his hands.

"Hey if you don't get your ass out of these vents like yesterday I'm turning on the flame throwers I installed a couple of weeks ago." Tony warned jokingly. He was starting to think he might be getting in way over his head.

"You don't have flame throwers in here Stark, and if you value your hide, I suggest you do as Barton says and get back to the toys in your penthouse." Natasha said as she squeezed past him silently.

"Natalie! Who invited you here, how did you even find us, and how did you manage to travel these vents without making a single sound in those heels?" Tony snarked. Clint dropped the straightened clips in his hands to the floor of the shaft where they made tinkling sounds as they hit.

"Na-Natasha?" He asked hesitantly, his slight accent gone as one of his hands clutched at his upper arm. Natasha's face warmed imperceptivity as she stared at Barton.

"Its me Clint." Natasha said gently, at least gently for her, like an icicle slowly melting. "Get out of here now Stark!" She shouted back towards Tony, her eyes glaring daggers into him. Tony startled back and picked up his phone, the light bobbed with him as he shifted to turn himself around, thudding loudly as he headed back out of the vents.

"Ok, Ok, this is me getting out, see?" He said. They could hear Stark's muttering voice echoing back to them as he crawled away, "Bloody insane ninjas, don't know why I bother sometimes. You and me Jarv, we've got to talk about updating our security protocols…" Stark took the bright light with him as he left, leaving Clint and Natasha in the near darkness. But they were both used to darkness, both born from it. Natasha and Clint locked eyes; she took in his unkempt appearance as she reached out a hand to him. Not touching, just reaching. Clint kept eye contact as he slowly reached for her warm hand with both of his cold ones and clasped her tightly.

"You came." Barton said. Natasha eased his bow to the ground.

"You called for me, how could I not come?" She said, shrugging.

"You used your ability." He said.

"I did." She replied.

"Fury's gone." Clint said.

"He is. Natasha said simply.

"Sitwell's a traitor." He said.

"He is." She agreed.

"SHIELD was a lie." He hissed suddenly. Natasha gripped his hand more tightly.

"No." She said firmly.

"Our life's work was a lie." Clint insisted.

"_No_." Natasha said determinedly. Clint pulled his hand away.

"We've been working for Hydra all along, and I'm the one that brought you into this." He said. Natasha's eyes hardened.

"I make my own choices, and we _were_ working for SHIELD." She said.

"A lie." Clint retorted. Black Widow pushed his shoulder back into the grate behind him, blocking what little light there was.

"Not a lie, we shielded the world from the hard choices, we protected people, that wasn't a lie." Romanoff said. Barton looked away from her.

"It might as well have been, but it's all gone now." He said.

"Not so long as we still uphold SHIELD's ideals." She said. Clint looked startled.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that."

"You shouldn't be, you're the one who helped make me the woman I am today." Natasha said, her mouth slightly curling into a half smile. All Clint could see was her coldness.

"Is that such a good thing Tash?" He asked sadly. Natasha shrugged, her mouth a thin line once more.

"I'm better than I was." She said honestly.

"But am I?" Clint asked desperately. Natasha tried to look deeper within him, sensing his churning emotions.

"Clint?" She asked. Barton raised a hand to his forehead and tapped it.

"Ever since Loki played around with my head I've been having trouble remembering things, things I should be able to remember, like my brother's face, how could I forget that? How I came to SHIELD, Coulson, and…" He trailed off worriedly.

"And?" Natasha asked forcefully. Clint shuddered helplessly.

"I don't even recognize myself anymore. Who am I Tash?" He asked harshly. Natasha gripped his face in her hands, moving close enough to kiss.

"Your you, and I'm me, nothing else matters." She whispered. Barton breathed deeply, calming himself.

"…I guess you're right, that's all that really matters." He said. She tossed her head to the side.

"Lets get out of here." She said. Barton nodded, picking up his bow and leading the way, leaving the paperclips forgotten behind them.

"Alright Nat, but are you going to stay?" He asked as they crawled along.

"Are you?" She replied.

"This is the only home I have left." He said.

"A home? That sounds…nice." Natasha said.

"Stark-Tony he's not that bad really." Clint said, regretting how he had treated the man only a few minutes ago.

"You like being an Avenger." She said, not quite a question or an accusation.

"Yeah, I do. So what do you think, will you stay? Tony's actually made a whole floor just for you, I've seen it, I'll admit it's pretty swanky." They both dropped out of the vents smoothly and began moving along the hallway next to each other.

"My place is where it has always been, with you." She said.

"Then welcome to Avenger Tower." Hawkeye said walking backwards with arms opened dramatically. Natasha snorted.

"You need a shave."

Tony Stark lay on the couch in his workshop and tried to shut his eyes and his mind. But ideas and memories kept intruding. It didn't help that the Black Widow herself was staying just a few floors below him. Not that she would hurt him, probably, but she could, she easily could. He sighed deeply as he turned on his side and tried once more to clear his mind. Then he thought of the Beta ray machine that Bruce had urgently wanted him to work on. Bruce would be more than disappointed in him if he didn't at least start thinking about the project. So Tony began to work out plans for the device. After another sleepless hour he arose to start designing the machine, his attempts at sleep forgotten, except by DUM-E. The bot followed him around with a blanket in his claw trailing along behind him until Tony finally succumbed to his body's needs. Tony fell asleep in his chair a few hours later, the blanket thrown over him.

(4.1m)abny

Tony carried a large coffee in his hand as he strolled to a bench in Central Park where a man was reading a newspaper. He sat obnoxiously next to the man, jostling his paper, while gulping his piping hot coffee. "Alright I'm here Fury, what do you want, and why are you dressed like a hobo?" Tony asked. Fury glared over his sunglasses.

"Keep it down Stark, I'm supposed to be dead remember?" Fury grumbled.

"I did send a bunch of lilies to your grave." Tony said mock gravely. Fury ignored him.

"Have you solved your…problem yet?" Fury asked. Tony gestured towards himself.

"Does it look like I have?" He asked. Fury looked him over.

"There are worse ways to go." He said contemplatively.

"Better not to go at all." Tony said.

"Agreed." Fury said. Tony took another steaming gulp of coffee.

"So zombie hobo why are we meeting in the park like spies in a retro flick?" Tony asked, gesturing at the newspaper and the bustling park around them. Fury grunted.

"You are being watched." He said. Tony's face turned serious.

"By who?" He asked soberly. Fury threw a hand out to the world around them.

"Who do you think? Everybody! This is a new age, there's no more SHIELD to guide the people who can't be contained in this world. No one to lobby on their behalf. Nobody really knows what's going to happen next, the governments, the heroes, the villains, everybody is just watching while everything is up in the air." Fury said.

"So what, you want me to juggle? Are you telling me these people all think I'm the man with the plan? They are looking at the wrong guy Fury, that would be Cap if anybody." Tony said dismissively. Fury nodded.

"Normally it would be, but he is more suited to battle, and this is war. You are the best option to lead, you need to pick up the pieces of my organization, take the reins and guide this new world. Besides you know the danger that's looming over us all, you aren't just the best option, you're the only one. Learn to juggle." Fury ordered sternly. Tony looked at him for a moment before laughing. He wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Is that all you want of me? I might be dead and useless before long." Stark said bitterly.

"Then futurist, heal thyself." Fury intoned. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Easy for you to say." He said, then his eyes suddenly widened. "Black Widow isn't about to come out of nowhere and stab me with a cure is she?" Tony asked looking around half hopefully and worriedly. Fury shook his head once, solemnly. Tony's shoulders slumped. "And what will you be doing while I take on your job?" He asked. Fury lowered his shades briefly, his good and bad eye looking right through him.

"I'll be keeping an eye on things." He said. Tony clapped.

"Oooh, very mysterious and punny, very punny." He said. Fury snorted and straightened his glasses.

"Do I look like I'm joking Stark?" Fury asked.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Tony retorted. Fury gave a put upon sigh.

"I've left a present for you in your lobby." He said abruptly. Tony leaned forward.

"A present? I love those, is it a stripper? Cause that sooo did not work out the last time someone gave me one. I mean you would think it would, right? But she was like-"

"No she's not a stripper Stark, will you try to pay some fucking attention?" Fury interrupted. Tony looked up and blinked at him.

"What? Were you saying something?" Fury snarled. Tony lifted up his hands and made calming motions. "Alright, alright, I'm messing with you, come on I've had a long week." Tony said.

"You aren't the only one." Fury huffed out. Stark's phone suddenly started playing "Hells Bells." Tony reached for it in his hoodie and pulled it out, ignoring Fury completely.

"One sec. Hello?" Tony said into the phone. Then his gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Stark!" Nick Fury sputtered. Tony held up a hand to silence him.

"What do you mean she didn't show up to the meeting? That was hours ago! Pepper never misses a meeting." Tony said, his voice getting gradually louder and more concerned. "What about Happy?" Tony asked. "They didn't make their flight yesterday?" He asked anxiously. "Why wasn't I told?!" He yelled as he hung up on the person. "Fuck!" He shouted as passerby stared at him.

"What is it?" Fury asked calmly. Tony shot to his feet, dropping his coffee cup onto the pavement.

"Pepper's missing!" Tony cried. Fury smiled grimly.

"Then it's a good thing that present I left you specializes in finding people." Fury said.


	13. Chapter 13

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Happy Hogan turned around in his seat and shared a look with Pepper as they arrived at the underground AIM headquarters. "Ms. Potts, I'm not going to let them take you." Happy said, determined. The TV screen had already switched off in the car as men in yellow jumpsuits approached their limo with strange firearms held across their chests. Virginia Potts smiled bravely.

"Happy you can't fight them all, there are just too many." She said. Happy growled, gripping the top of the seat.

"You want me to stand by and _let_ them take you? I heard what that woman said; she wants to experiment on ya! I'm your bodyguard, you can't expect me not to protect you, don't ask me to do that!" He said, shaking his head violently. Pepper reached over the divide between him and rested a soft hand on one of his strained ones.

"I'm not asking Happy, I'm telling you. But I'll be fine, we'll both be fine, we just need to hold out until he gets here. And he will find us, you know he will." Pepper said confidently. Happy looked aside.

"Of course he will." Happy said. "I just hope he gets here soon." Happy added, grumbling to himself unhappily. The doors unlocked themselves just before one of the men reached out and opened the driver side and then the backseat doors. The man silently motioned for them to come out while two other men kept their weapons trained on them. Pepper calmly exited the car and Happy reluctantly followed her lead, holding his hands above his head. The men searched them for any concealed weapons. Happy didn't believe in guns, a belief that he was truly beginning to regret. They did find Pepper's pepper spray, which they took along with her purse. Afterwards the men led them through a door to the left and down a few flights of stairs, through a hallway and finally to a cell door. They unlocked it with a code and shoved Happy roughly inside, before slamming the solid steel door shut behind him. Happy turned around swiftly and attacked the door. "Ms. Potts, Ms. Potts! You cowardly _bastards_! Let her go!" He shouted, fear coloring his voice as he slammed his weight against the cell door frantically. Pepper could hear Happy shouting for her but was silent as the men brought her into a laboratory where she came face to face with Maya Hansen.

"_The_ Ms. Pepper Potts come to grace us with her presence, I hope my people weren't too harsh with you?" Pepper ignored Maya for the moment as she studied the lab in front of her. Three examining tables were situated in the room, each accompanied by monitors, fluid bags, and trays filled with medical equipment, including needles and scalpels. They reminded her all too easily of her time with Killian, when his AIM scientists had forcibly injected her with the Extremis virus. She wrapped her arms around herself unconsciously. Maya gestured at the lab around them. "I see you've noticed my laboratory, it has all the most state of the art equipment, you really couldn't be in better hands." Pepper raised an eyebrow at Maya. "Under the circumstances, that is." Maya added with a self-depreciating grin. Maya frowned at Pepper's continued silence. "Nothing to say?" Pepper steeled herself to reveal her hand.

"I'll cooperate with you if you release Happy. You have me; you'll get your _fix_. You don't need him." Pepper said. Maya frowned in confusion.

"Happy?" She asked and then her eyes cleared. "Oh your driver? I'm afraid I can't do that dear; he knows too much doesn't he? And you _will_ cooperate or your friend…well…lets just say he won't be happy for long. We _are_ scientists after all and we are always looking for more test subjects." She trailed off meaningfully.

"What _happened_ to you Maya?" Pepper asked, horrified.

"Life." Maya said simply. She looked to the men on either side of Pepper. "Strap her to the table we might as well begin." One of the AIM men grabbed her forearm brutally and dragged her to one of the examining tables where they forced her down and began belting straps around her legs, arms, and torso. Pepper couldn't stop herself from struggling uselessly against the restraints; she shuddered and suddenly saw Killian standing over her, laughing manically like some villain in a melodrama. Pepper blinked her eyes rapidly and saw that it was in fact Maya Hansen who was leaning over her with a smile that didn't reach her deadened eyes. She raised a large syringe in her gloved hand. "I _am_ sorry about this Pepper, but I'm afraid that this is going to hurt."

Happy Hogan slumped against the far wall of the cell. It was a small cement block cube lit by a flickering light from above. A steel sink and toilet were the only objects in the space. Happy took out his dead phone, and desperately wished he were Tony Stark. Tony could have MacGyver'd his way out of here hours ago. He'd have saved Pepper, destroyed the bad guys, and left with a hilarious quip on his lips. But he wasn't Tony Stark; he wasn't a superhero, he was just plain old Happy Hogan, a washed up boxer and failure of a bodyguard, who was in an unrequited love affair with his boss. Happy managed to take the battery out of his phone and popped it back in again, hoping that maybe something that simple might work. He held the on button, but only a black screen stared back at him. _God, why was he so stupid!_ He dropped the phone to the floor, of course that wouldn't work; AIM wouldn't have left him the phone after they had searched him unless it was completely hopeless. Whatever tech they had used to take over the limo and kill their cells had done its job well.

Happy heard footsteps from the hallway outside his cell, he stood up and went into a boxing stance. He and Pepper had been separated four hours ago; according to the watch Pepper had given him. She could even be dead by now for all he knew, and here he was, useless. He'd failed her…and failed Tony. He flexed his fists. If they were coming for him then he was going to put up one hell of a fight. The door swung open after the code was imputed. He was about to charge forward when two of the yellow jumpsuited men tossed a boneless Pepper Potts inside. Happy ran to catch her before she could hit the ground, landing on his knees painfully. The door was slammed shut before he could do anything else. He lowered the unconscious woman gently to the floor and began looking her over for injuries as he called her name insistently.

"Ms. Potts? Ms. Potts? Wake up, please! Oh God, be okay. Please be okay!" He found cuts and bruises up and down her arms as well as the cruel marks of straps across her body. Her chest heaved up and down through her sweat soaked beige silken tank top as she breathed shallowly. He could also feel an intense heat coming off her body. Happy went to the sink to wet his handkerchief. He returned and used it to wipe away the sweat on Virginia's brow. Pepper's eyes abruptly fluttered open.

"T-Tony?" She asked faintly, squinting up at him.

"It's Happy." He said, taking the cloth away. He took off his jacket, bunched it up and placed it under her head carefully.

"Happy?" Pepper asked, muddled. She became more alert as she stared up at him.

"Yeah." He could feel the heat of her fever even through her clothes. "What did that bitch do to you?" Happy asked, hating how pale, sweaty, and drained she looked. Pepper weakly turned her head to the side.

"Nothing you can fix." She said breathily. Happy slammed a fist on the cement painfully.

"We need to get you out of here now, we can't wait this out! Those bastards are torturing you!" He snarled. Pepper chuckled raspingly.

"This? This is nothing, try going to the ComicCon with Tony, ugh, now _that_ was torture." She said smiling wanly through her pain, her eyes wincing shut. Happy gently picked up her heated hand with his.

"They aren't going to take you from me again Pepper." He promised fiercely. Pepper opened her eyes.

"You called me Pepper." She said, amazed. Happy reached out and closed her tired eyes with a hand.

"Go and catch some sleep Ms. Potts, you're getting delirious." Happy got up to wet the cloth once more before kneeling beside her. He placed it on her head as he stroked her hair gently out of her face. "And don't worry about a thing, I'll be watching over you."

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Tony stared off into space in a state of shock. Central Park's visitors sidestepped around him, but Tony saw none of it. His vivid imagination came up with all sorts of possible horrors that Pepper and Happy could even now be suffering. They could even be dead; they've been missing for a whole day already, anything could have happened, could be happening and its all his fault. Nick Fury watched Tony's immobilized state for a moment before impatiently throwing his newspaper in the garbage can beside him, rising, and promptly punching Tony hard in the face. Tony cried out as he was knocked to the ground, his phone skidding out of his hand and across the pavement. He raised a hand to his certainly soon to be bruising cheek, and looked up at Fury, stunned. "Get yourself together Stark, feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help your people now is it?" Fury said. Pedestrians stared and hurried away from the pair.

Tony glared at Fury before picking himself up and reclaiming his phone a few feet away. His eyes narrowed as he raised his phone to his ear, never turning his back to Fury. "JARVIS buddy, you there?" Tony asked softly.

"Yes, Sir." The A.I. replied.

"Can you reach them?" Tony asked.

"I have tried Sir, but I'm afraid I can't even turn their mobiles on remotely." JARVIS said, sounding frustrated and worried. "Its as if Mr. Hogan's and Ms. Potts phones have been utterly destroyed." He concluded grimly. Tony put the phone in his pocket before speaking to the man in front of him.

"Right, what were you saying about leaving someone in my lobby Fury?" Tony asked, remembering what Fury had said a little while ago. Fury turned and threw out a hand to Avengers Tower in the distance.

"Go and see for yourself, if anyone can find them, it'll be her." Tony looked at Fury suspiciously before he took out his flask. His suit swirled around him as onlookers took pictures and videos with their cellphones. Tony left Fury behind and flew from the park, landing a minute later at the Tower and entering the lobby. A woman looked up from her phone as he entered in the suit and nodded at him professionally.

"Good Morning Mr. Stark, believe it or not I'm actually here to look for a job, but considering the information that was just sent from our mutual friend I think that can wait. I've dealt with these kind of situations before, please let me help." The woman said earnestly. Tony studied her through the armor's HUD.

"Maria Hill, come with me." He said mechanically as he led her up to his workshop. Maria followed Iron Man into to the shop. She barely glanced around before getting to business.

"Mr. Stark? Could you please tell me everything you know about the situation?" She asked. Tony lifted up the faceplate.

"I was just told that Pepper and Happy did not reach their scheduled flight yesterday afternoon. The last time anyone saw them was when they left this very building yesterday a 4:00pm. No one has been able to get into contact with them since including my very sophisticated A.I. I personally tweaked their cells; those batteries would never die on their own. So either the phones were completely destroyed or someone with some fancy tech has done something very sneaky." Tony said seriously. Maria Hill nodded.

"Which do you believe to be the cause?" She asked.

"I don't know, do you really believe you can help?" He asked.

"I do. You haven't received any ransom calls?" Maria questioned. Tony shook his head.

"No." He said.

"And I have to ask this, they've been missing for 24 hours, do you want to contact the police?" Maria asked. Tony thought for a moment.

"I can't see what they can do that we can't do better and faster. And they might just make things worse, so no, or at least not yet." Tony said.

"Okay. Can I borrow your computer and A.I.?" She asked. Tony gestured to the entirety of the workshop.

"Go ahead, do whatever you can." He said. The doors swooshed open as a disheveled Dr. Banner entered. He moved over to Tony, wringing his hands nervously.

"Tony?" Bruce asked. Tony waved him off as he stood behind Maria's shoulders.

"Not now Bruce." He said dismissively. Bruce ducked his head.

"N-no, I'm just, JARVIS told me what's happening, I'm so sorry Tony, if there is anything I can do, please tell me." Bruce said sincerely. Tony turned to face him.

"Thanks Bruce." He said meaningfully. Bruce stared at him.

"What happened to your face?" Bruce asked, seeing how red and swollen the left side of Tony's face was. Tony turned back to the holographic screen that Hill was using, watching as Maria and JARVIS checked all the CCTV footage between the Tower and the airport.

"I fell, its not important." He said absently. Banner moved a little closer and placed a hand on Iron Man's cold shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked. Tony glared at the holographic screen in front of them.

"When we find them, I will be." He said, before leaving Maria Hill alone in his private workshop to go and find the other Avengers and ask them for their help.


	14. Chapter 14

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Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Jane Foster had seated themselves around the various couches in the Avenger common room. A screen that took up the entirety of a back wall showed a view of the city outside the tower. "So why do you think Mr. Stark has called this meeting?" Jane asked the heroes surrounding her. Thor shrugged one muscled shoulder.

"I cannot guess what the Man of Iron's reasoning might be." He said thoughtfully. Barton smiled and leaned into Natasha's side next to him.

"Maybe he wants to play Magic the Gathering." He said jokingly. Thor's eyes widened.

"Anthony knows the mystical arts?" Thor said, surprised. Jane put a hand on his knee, smiling gently.

"Not that kind of magic Thor." She said. Clint looked around the room and lowered his voice.

"I bet he wants to discuss who should lead this merry band of heroes." He said. Natasha snorted impressively for a woman.

"It should be the Captain, he is the obvious choice." The Black Widow asserted.

"Captain America?" Jane asked. Clint tossed his hands behind his neck and leaned back on them.

"Who else?" Hawkeye asked sardonically. Thor nodded decisively.

"He _is_ an able mortal." Thor admitted. "And he proved himself at the battle with Loki's minions." Thor added, suddenly looking morose.

"Maybe he should lead, but Cap's not here." Clint said slowly. Thor raised his head as his eyes flashed fiercely.

"_I_ have led men," Thor said with a nod toward Natasha. "and women, into battle many times." Clint's eyes narrowed as he rose to his feet and stalked to the God.

"Yeah? Well good for you, but in the really real world I've led extraction teams on loads of ops. If anyone should be leading this team it should be me." Clint said confidently. Thor stood to meet him as they sized each other up. Natasha put herself between them and raised her hands to both their chests.

"Boys, boys, you're both pretty, but this isn't helping anything, don't start tipping the kettle before you've boiled the tea." Thor bowed his head and let Jane pull him back down beside her.

"As long as our leader isn't Stark." Clint muttered before sitting back down.

"Agreed." Thor rumbled. The team exchanged guilty looks as Tony abruptly entered with a downcast Bruce following. Tony started speaking as soon as he came before the group. He began without preamble.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I've called you all here. Pepper and Happy are missing and I could use your help to get them back." The group of heroes stared at Tony, shocked. Jane gasped while Natasha looked straight ahead her face closed off. Clint looked past Tony to Bruce who nodded solemn confirmation. Clint's mouth opened and closed a couple of times trying to think of what to say, while Thor's hammer slammed solidity into his fist.

"Of course you will have our aid!" Thor thundered. Jane winced and put a hand to cover her ear. Natasha exchanged a look with Clint and they both nodded gravely.

"What do you need?" Natasha asked. Tony stepped closer to the rest of the team with Bruce solidly behind him.

"Maria Hill and JARVIS are currently trying to track down their whereabouts, they have been missing since yesterday when they failed to catch their plane, their phones are not working, and their limo's GPS has been…deactivated. It is possible that they have been in a serious accident, but I would have heard something by now if that had been the case. It's looking like a kidnapping. There has yet to be a ransom demand. It's possible that they have already been kil-" Tony stopped himself painfully. He looked as if he would have collapsed already if his armor hadn't been holding him up. He took a deep breath and continued. "Chances are, some enemy of mine is trying to get to me through them, or one of S.I.'s competitors is trying to take out its CEO, meaning Happy just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. While Hill and JARVIS try to follow Pep and Hap's physical trail, I'll be checking out S.I.'s enemies and looking up my old evil flames and see if I can't turn up any likely candidates." Tony finished. Thor looked grim.

"And what can we do Man of Iron?" Thor asked.

"You can be ready. As soon as I find out where they are or who took them, I'll be heading out." Tony said a dangerous light in his eyes. Clint raised his hand into a clenched fist and held it out to Tony.

"And we'll be with you, man." Clint said. Tony closed his eyes in relief, reached out and bumped Clint's fist gently with the suit's.

"Thanks." Tony said feelingly. Bruce tried to smile at him.

"Don't worry Tony, they'll be alright." Bruce said.

"Yeah." Tony choked out. He walked out in the room, heading back down to Maria to start working on sifting through the large stack of S.I's rivals and his own even larger stack of personal enemies. For the first time in his life he wished he didn't feel the need to piss off so many damn people. A stern voice stopped him from going any further.

"Stark?" Natasha called from the hallway leading to the lift. Tony turned to her and nodded, his numb eyes looking through her.

"Romanoff?" He responded politely. Natasha hesitated and that drew his attention. The Widow was not the sort of person who hesitated.

"I, _might_ have a way to find them." Natasha said. Tony breathed through his nose.

"Might?" He asked cautiously. Natasha moved closer to him.

"Do you have anything of Hogan's or Potts', something they wore close to their skin?" She asked intently. Tony nodded, confused.

"I have some of Pepper's clothes upstairs." He said.

"Anything unwashed?" She asked.

"A feather boa." Tony said. Natasha arched an eyebrow. Tony sighed, his mouth a thin line.

"A birthday present." He answered gruffly. She nodded sharply.

"That'll do, get it." Natasha ordered.

"You're not jerking me around are you Widow, cause this would be a bad time to test me." He said, his tone serious and dangerous.

"No, I'm trying to help save Happy and Pepper, get the boa." Natasha replied. Tony looked at her a moment more before going and fetching the gold feathery bundle. He came back down and handed it to her.

"Here." He said. Natasha brought the feathers to her nose and inhaled deeply while closing her eyes. She pulled it away from her face and smiled slightly her nose twitching. Then she looked around the room and then at the elevator. "I will be able to find her, I've got her scent." Natasha said, her entire body focused and leaning toward the elevator. Tony stared at her.

"What are you a blood hound?" He asked.

"Get the others and follow me or don't, with or without you, I will find them." The Black Widow half snarled. Tony wisely chose not to argue further with the assassin; he went back into the common room and told the heroes that they needed to follow Natasha as she had some kind of lead. Clint and Thor immediately left to go after Widow. Bruce stayed where he was and gripped his upper left arm with his right hand.

"Aren't you coming Bruce?" Tony asked softly. Bruce shrunk into himself.

"I can't." Banner said, his eyes sunken. Tony took a step forward.

"I need you Bruce. Pepper and Happy need you." Tony said. Bruce flinched.

"The Other Guy would only hurt them." Bruce said in a weak voice.

"I'm not talking about the Hulk, I'm talking about _you_!" Tony snapped. Bruce stumbled back. "They might need medical attention. There is no more SHIELD, please Bruce, I need _you_." Tony whispered. Bruce stared at the ground at his feet.

"I…yes, of course, I'll get my medical bag." He said and ran for his room. Tony quickly checked in with JARVIS for an update. Apparently whoever had taken his two friends had also managed to cover their tracks. Every device that might have recorded the limo's progress throughout the city had been erased, beyond even JARVIS' attempts at retrieval. The implications of that frightened him. There just weren't many people that could accomplish such a thing. And he wouldn't want any of them to be holding his friends.

The team gathered together in the parking garage. Tony put his suit back in its container. The Avengers minus Natasha who got on her Harley, piled into the most nondescript car that Tony owned, a black Lamborghini with dark tinted windows. Natasha led the way out of the garage and the Avengers followed, hoping against hope that they would be led to a Pepper and Happy who were alive and well.

A screen showing two shadowy figures on a gray background glowed in a darkened room of the underground AIM headquarters. The room was seemingly empty except for Maya Hansen. She stood before the bright screen with her hands folded neatly behind her back. "Maya, Maya, Maya, what are we going to do with you?" A clear male voice said condescendingly from the screen. Maya put a hand on her hip and lifted her chin.

"I'm grateful for all your help defeating darling Tony's tech Mr. Stone, but don't you dare think for a moment that you can talk to me like that." Maya said stridently.

"Then deliver us the results you promised. You get what you earn Ms. Hansen. And the only thing you have earned so far is our contempt." The male voice said. Maya glowered at the screen.

"I took Potts, I've extracted the improved formula from her blood." Hansen defended herself. A new female voice interjected.

"Any fool could have done as much with our aid. However, although we now have the Extremis formula, you've informed us that the formula needs to be adapted to each individual subject in order for it to work." Said the arrogant female voice issuing from the television.

"All of which means that all of the effort we've put in so far will be wasted without _Stark_." The male voice broke in, snarling the last word with hatred.

"Not wasted, we do have the base we need for the improved Extremis, we just need to alter it for each subject ourselves." Maya said, her tone assured.

"Forgive us for not wishing to rely upon you for that." The male voice said.

"I don't see how you have much choice, I possess the formula." Maya said.

"No, AIM has the formula and we are AIM's backers." The male voice continued. Maya straightened her back.

"With Killian no longer here, I am AIM." Maya said.

"No dear, you are old news and I'm afraid that we no longer need you in your current position." The female voice stated. Maya raised one eyebrow.

"Current position?" Maya asked in a dangerously soft voice.

"Breathing." The male voice replied. An AIM employee in a yellow jumpsuit approached silently behind Maya and fired a strange looking gun. Maya turned around just as the gun fired.

"W-what are you-?! Nooooo!" Maya screamed in a shrill voice as green electricity shot from the end of the gun and into her. Her skeleton showed through her clothes before she crumpled into a boneless heap onto the floor, her eyes staring blankly, confused, as smoke rose in gentle whirls from her body.

"_Current_ position, you're a laugh riot Mary." The male voice said on the screen with a clear laugh. Two yellow jumpsuited employees stepped forward out of the shadows, moving around the body on the floor and approaching the TV. The male voice suddenly tisked.

"Tsk. It seems that the Avengers are on their way to your hideout as we speak." The male said sighing at the end. The employee that had shot Maya swept back his blond hair and nodded peremptorily.

"Then we will have to leave and take as much of the equipment as we can, see to it." The employee said to the other AIM member, who nodded and left the room to begin organizing the retreat from the warehouse. "What do you want us to do with the prisoners, take them with us?" The employee asked.

"Dispose of them." The woman's voice said simply. The employee bowed.

"I'll take care of them myself." The employee said and then left the room.

"Good. I hope Stark enjoys his surprises as much as we enjoyed his." The male voice said to the empty room, a grin hidden in his tone. The screen switched off, leaving Maya Hansen's corpse lying curled in on itself in the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

(4.1m)abny

Tony's fingers tapped an impatient tattoo on the wheel of the Lamborghini as he revved up the gas while trapped behind Natasha in a traffic jam. Thor sat in the passenger seat beside him, while Bruce looked at his lap nervously in the backseat with Clint next to him, staring out the window. Natasha turned on her Harley to look back at them before using the motorcycle to dodge between the cars, leaving them behind. "JARVIS?" Tony asked hoarsely.

"Yes, Sir?" JARVIS's voice asked from the onboard computer. Tony's lip twisted up in a parody of a smile.

"Green Light Special." Tony said.

"Right away, Sir." JARVIS replied. All the lights between their Lamborghini and Natasha's Harley suddenly turned green and traffic began picking up. Tony quickly caught up to Natasha.

"Did your A.I. just hack into all the streetlights?" Clint asked wonderingly.

"We'll have clear lanes until we get to Pepper and Happy." Tony answered. Clint leaned back into the plush seat.

"Neat." Clint said. Bruce picked at the medical bag sitting on his lap.

"Clint, do you know how Natasha is tracing them?" Bruce asked haltingly. "Even Tony, JARVIS, and Maria Hill couldn't locate them." Bruce added. Tony began humming to himself.

"Or all the King's horses and all the King's men..." Tony sing-songed. Thor looked over at him worriedly.

"If she says she can find them, she can, that's all that matters, and anything else is her own concern, yeah?" Clint said to the air in front of him, refusing to look at Banner. Thor turned around, knocking into Tony's elbow and almost causing them to hit a passing car. Tony snarled and brought the car back into their lane.

"Hawkeye is indeed correct. We know the Lady Widow's intentions are pure, let her secrets be her own. I think our energies would be better spent concentrating on rescuing Lady Potts and Sir Hogan." Thor said earnestly. Tony huffed a breath and started humming again.

"Couldn't put them back together again…" Tony continued, singing anxiously. Bruce frowned.

"Tony, are you-?" Bruce began. Natasha abruptly pulled into the lot next to an abandoned warehouse. Tony parked behind her and clapped his hands.

"We're here! Alright guys, lets find them, get them out, and take care of anyone in our way." Tony said. He got out and put on the suit before following Natasha and entering the warehouse. The Avengers followed after him. The building was completely empty. Natasha strode to the middle of the large space and looked down. She stood on a large rectangle that looked like it could be lowered down.

"They're underneath the building?" Clint asked. He stepped up to the large rectangle and stamped a boot on it without it moving. "But how do we-?" He began. Tony found two buttons on the wall and pressed the lower one and the rectangle began to move downward. "Oh." Clint concluded as he and Natasha jumped back from the lift. Natasha moved to the edge and looked down into the hole. Tony had only lowered it enough for them to be able to slip in through the gap.

"I'll reconnoiter and be back in 15. If I don't make it back, come after me. Otherwise when I get back I'll take point, then Thor and Clint. Iron Man will cover the rear. Bruce will stay out here, the Hulk could do more harm than good in enclosed spaces." Natasha said. Bruce sighed in relief and moved back, his bag swinging beside him.

"Couldn't agree with you more." Bruce muttered. Clint put a hand up to his mouth and coughed loudly.

"*Cough* coward *Cough*" Everyone ignored him, except Natasha who glared at him for a moment before continuing.

"When we go in, everyone stay together, keep your coms on-"

"Fuck this, I'm going in." Tony interrupted, as he approached the gap.

"Wait for me to recon, Stark! We don't know who or what's down there." Natasha snapped. Iron Man turned his toward her, his eyes glowing fiercely.

"According to you, that would be Pepper and Happy. Nothing else matters." His mechanical voice said before sliding into the darkness of the gap.

"Wait Stark! Follow the plan!" Natasha called after him uselessly. Natasha shook her head and checked her guns. "Well, we better go after him. He'll make too much noise for me to bother to recon. Same formation as per the plan, Clint you cover the rear." Clint unlimbered his bow and nodded as Thor raised his hammer.

"Forward Avengers!" Thor trumpeted. They all stepped down onto the lift that Bruce began lowering. Clint started up some humming of his own as they were lowered into the depths.

"Clint, please stop humming the funeral march." Natasha begged dryly.

Iron Man landed on the floor of a room dimly lit by computer screens and his suit, his scans showed no life signs within the room. He walked to the only door and kicked it down. "Honey, I'm home!" Tony called loudly. He moved down the corridor until he saw a yellow suited figure trying to pick up a bunch of papers that had been scattered around the hall. The man turned around as he heard Tony approaching and blanched. Tony picked him up and pressed him against the wall with one hand. "What the fuck are you supposed to be, Big Bird?" Tony asked, sneering. The man shook before the suit's steely gaze. "You know who I am, where are my people!?" Iron Man demanded. The man shuddered and pointed a hand further down the hall.

"T-that way! Down the stairs." The man said. Tony smiled within the suit.

"Good boy, take five." He said as he tapped the back of the man's head against the wall and he fell unconscious onto the floor. Tony moved quickly down the hall and began jumping down the stairs as fast as he could. Two yellow jumpsuited men came up the stairwell and pointed strange looking guns at him. They both fired twin beams of shrieking green light. Tony froze for a moment as the beams struck his suit and gradually drained away. The suit's power ratcheted up another 43%. The two men seemed surprised that Iron Man was still standing and unfazed. "Well that tickles, my turn." Tony said as he raised his hands and fired his repulsors.

Happy sat against the wall next to Pepper's immobile body. She still breathed, but it was labored, and there was nothing more he could do for her. During the past 30 minutes he'd heard a lot of people moving outside their cell, but he couldn't determine what was going on. He was beginning to lose hope that rescue would ever come. Tony was supposed to be here already, he was a hero, a superhero at that, and a genius with endless resources, who lived with a team of superheroes. He, more than anybody knew that Tony Stark was only human, and yet the man always seemed to be 10 steps ahead of everyone else, always able to pull the impossible rabbit out of his hat. Happy just couldn't believe that he hadn't come to rescue them yet.

Hogan thought back to the first time he had met Tony Stark. It wasn't a secret, and yet it sort of was. It had been 20 years ago and the memory felt as fresh as if it occurred a minute ago. Happy had been drinking at a pub after having been laid off from his job. He held the classifieds in front of him as he slugged back another warm European pint. The print swam before his eyes. "I think you've had enough Hap." The barman said. Happy looked up at him blearily.

"Yeah. Guess I have." Happy agreed, he put down the paper and the empty glass and dug out the cash to pay his tab. His wallet was depressingly empty afterwards.

"Want me to call a cab?" The barman asked, concern tinting his voice. Happy began to shake his head, and then thought better of it.

"Naw, can't afford it, I'll catch a bus." Happy said as he got up to leave the pub.

"Alright, good luck with the job hunting Hap." The barman called. Happy waved.

"Yeah, thanks Benny." Happy left the bar and continued on his way to the nearest bus stop. It was late at night, but he figured that a bus should be swinging by in the next hour or so. Sudden violent sounds brought him to a standstill. He heard a man gasp painfully before he heard another solid thud of impact.

"Ah-shit, you fuckers!" A young man's voice yelled. Happy followed the sounds of fighting. He crossed the street and peered into an alleyway. A man in his early 20's was trying to fight off four large men and losing. Two of them held him up while a third gripped the kid's black hair and pulled his head back.

"You need to wash that mouth out Stark, or maybe I'll put something else in it instead." The older man insinuated with a leer. The young man spit blood in the man's face and tried to kick him.

"Get away from me you motherfucking, cocksucking-!" The young man snarled before he was punched in the stomach and lost his breath. "Fuck-" The kid gasped, his eyes closing for a moment as he just tried to breathe.

"Doesn't seem like he wants to play nice does it?" One of the men said with a grin.

"I'm sure we can change his mind. Everyone knows what a playboy he is. Hold him still guys." The third man said as he began to fiddle with his pants. Happy could take no more of this and entered the alley.

"Leave him alone." Happy said. The young man and the toughs turned to look at him.

"This ain't none of your business." The leader said. Happy stood his ground and raised his fists in a boxer's stance, tucking his chin toward his chest.

"I said, leave him alone, now." Happy said. The leader smiled at him. He took the two men's place and gripped the kid's arms behind his back.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya. Get him boys." The leader said. Three men lumbered down the alleyway toward him like the great gorillas they were. However the alleyway was narrow so they could only come at him two at a time. The adrenalin surge burned away the remnants of the alcohol in his blood. One of the gorillas was slightly ahead of the other, so he clocked him on the chin and he went down. Happy figured he must have had a glass jaw. The second stumbled over his prone companion and fell. Happy kicked him in the head a few times for good measure. The third was more cautious and a better fighter. He had his arms up and protected his face. Happy threw a few punches, getting a feel for the man. The man threw a roundhouse that Happy ducked under. Happy then punched him in the side a couple of times until the man backed off. However he'd left his face unprotected as he clutched his side, so Happy returned the roundhouse and knocked him out. With all three of his assailants down, Hogan looked toward the young man and the leader. The kid had managed to get him on the ground and was currently breaking every rib the man had, by stomping on him. The kid continued to curse breathlessly until Happy came up to him.

"What the-!" The young man started back from his foe, his eyes wild as he looked around him. He noticed Happy and the downed men. He looked to the ground for a moment before extending a hand to him.

"Um-thanks." The young man said awkwardly. Happy shook the man's hand with a bemused look.

"Don't mention it." Hogan said.

"No, I mean really, thanks man." The young man insisted, his expression earnest. "What's your name?" The kid asked.

"I'm Happy. Happy Hogan. And you are?" Happy questioned. The young man's eyes widened.

"Oh? You don't know? I'm Tony." He said. Happy smiled.

"Just Tony?" Happy asked. Tony looked away embarrassed as he wiped at some of the blood on his mouth.

"Um, well…Tony Stark." Tony said. Happy nodded and gestured to his various injuries.

"Right, so do you need some help getting to a doctor or home or something?" Happy asked. Tony looked up, his expression frightened.

"No! I mean I'm good, thanks though." Tony wiped off some nonexistent dust on his sleeve. "You really don't know who I am?" Stark asked. Happy snorted.

"'Course I do, I don't live under a rock. Does it matter?" Happy asked. Tony cocked his head and began searching his jacket pockets.

"No, I just, um, do you want something, I mean I've got my checkbook on me…" Tony trailed off. Happy raised a hand.

"Naw man, unless you happen to have a job opening in that company of yours I don't need nothing." Hogan said. Tony stared at him and then looked at the downed goons around them.

"Hmm, now that I think on it, I think I could use a bodyguard, you available?" Tony asked with a shaky smile. Hogan shrugged.

"Eh…sure why not?" Happy said. Tony reached into his coat and brought out a business card and a pen and wrote on the back of it. He handed over the card.

"Here meet me at my mansion tomorrow at 8am dullish." Tony said. Happy put the card in his pocket and looked at the hurt young man.

"You sure you don't need some help getting home?" Hogan asked. Tony shook his head.

"Nope, I'm fine." Tony said. Happy nodded.

"Cool, see ya later Tony." Happy said.

"Bye Happy." Tony called after him. Happy left the alleyway and the young billionaire behind.

"That was the strangest drunken hallucination I've ever had." He muttered to himself when he'd finally reached his apartment. When he woke up the next morning and found the card in his pocket, he went to Tony Stark's mansion. He'd been around the man ever since, and he'd never been happier. Tony Stark was the most contradictory and amazing man he had ever encountered, and he was pleased that he was one of the few people who could call him his friend. Happy sighed, bringing himself back to the present.

Dwelling on the past was not going to get him and Pepper out of this mess, though he wasn't sure dwelling on the present necessarily would either. The steel door to their cell abruptly slammed open. A blond haired, AIM lackey stared at them with no expression. He pulled a black handled handgun out of his pocket and pointed it at Pepper. Happy moved without thinking and felt a horrible pain in his chest as the sound of the shot echoed around the small chamber. Pepper whimpered, her eyes tightly shut as Hogan landed across her. The lackey moved further into the room, and pointed the gun over Hogan's body and directly at Pepper's head. Happy's last thought before the blackness pulled him under was that it wasn't fair to be angry with Tony for not coming sooner. Happy just wished he could have rescued Pepper and confessed to her what was in his heart.

Iron Man entered the cell where he had heard a gunshot fired. He saw Happy bleeding on the ground and a man pointing a gun at Pepper. "No! Pepper!" He screamed as he fired his repulsors at the man, who then collapsed to the floor, dead, the gun falling unfired to the ground beside him. Tony scanned Pepper and then Happy. He opened his faceplate as he gently moved Happy off of Pepper and pressed down on the heavily bleeding hole in Happy's chest. Happy's eyes were shut, he was very pale, and he seemed to be barely breathing at all. "Shit. Happy? Oh god you're bleeding. Oh god, stay with me Happy, please." Tony begged desperately, then he yelled into his com. "Bruce get down here! Happy's been shot and Pepper, she's not moving, she's hurt too. Get down here now!" Tony shouted. He switched his com off after hearing various affirmations and JARVIS began directing the others to his location. His eyes began to tear unwillingly as he looked down at his two incapacitated friends, though no wetness dared to stain his cheeks.

Tony breathed shallowly as blood continued pumping from the wound his hands were pressed against, and pooling across the cement floor. "It's not supposed to be like this. This wasn't supposed to happen. You've at least got to say some last heroic words, right? You can't go without doing that, I forbid it! Therefore you can't die. And you'll miss the next season of Downton Abbey, and I know you wouldn't want to do that. Come on stick with me buddy. We still have to go a round in the ring, I've been ignoring you, I know that, I didn't mean too, but I just felt so…so _damn_ guilty when you were almost blown to kingdom come, and then I thought you'd be safer if you kept your distance from me. Huh, just look how well that turned out. Just knowing me has tainted you, I'm so sorry, please don't die, don't-" Tony stopped babbling as he saw hands snake around and cover his own.

"Tony back up, we're here, let the doctor work." Natasha said. Tony followed the hands on top of his own up to Bruce's wane face.

"Bruce?" Tony asked weakly.

"I've got him Tony." Bruce said gently. Tony let go of his friend and backed away reluctantly. Natasha stared daggers at him.

"This is why you were supposed to follow the plan." She said. Tony looked over at her confused.

"Wh-what?" He asked.

"You rushed in and startled them into getting rid of the evidence-" Natasha started. Clint clutched her arm and looked at her sternly.

"Not now Tash, leave him alone." Barton said. Tony barely noticed, his eyes looking inward.

"You're saying this is my fault?" Tony asked softly. He stared down at his armored red hands, shiny with his friend's blood. Then he stumbled back out of the room and flew off down the corridor.

"Tony? Wait!" Clint called and began to move after him. Natasha's hand landed on his chest, stopping him.

"Let him go, the damage has already been done." She said. Clint glowered.

"We don't know that him rushing in caused this to happen." Clint said. Natasha shrugged one shoulder.

"It was the wrong move regardless, he needs to learn how to work with a team." Natasha said heartlessly. Clint shook her off.

"So what you're using his friend's death as an abject lesson?" Clint asked. Natasha didn't avert her eyes.

"I'll use whatever I have to in order to get the job done." Natasha said. Bruce called back over his shoulder.

"He's not dead yet. Call an ambulance stat, and check on Pepper, I've got my hands full." Banner said, his hands and arms covered with blood as he tried to stanch the bleeding.

Iron Man flew down the hall hoping to run into more of the enemy. "_And all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put him back together again."_ Tony sang in his mind. He didn't know if he was referring to Happy or himself.


	16. Chapter 16

(4.2m)abny

Happy Hogan laid deathly pale on a bed in the hospital room, his chest barely rising and falling. Pepper gripped Happy's hand tightly between her own as she sat beside him, her face blotchy with tears. Some women looked pretty when they cried. Pepper just looked broken and sad, and it tore something in Tony to see her that way when she was usually stronger than anybody he knew. Thor, Clint, Natasha, and Bruce had arrayed themselves around the bed and stared down at Happy's still form, waiting. Tony stood frozen in a shadowed corner of the room looking at the scene in front of him, like a shop manikin looking out it's window at the real world and not believing such a world could possibly be real. The monitors began screeching and beeping erratically. Happy's eyes tore open and he yelled agonizingly as his body convulsed, once, twice and then fell still, his eyes glaring in Tony's direction but no longer seeing. Pepper screamed in anguish while the Avenger's turned as one to stare at Tony, their faces accusing. "It's not m-my fault." Tony stuttered, raising his hands as if to ward off a blow, while Bruce quirked an eyebrow.

"Isn't it, though?" Bruce asked, condemning. Tony's hands lowered in defeat and gestured toward Happy's corpse.

"I didn't mean-" Tony began.

"You caused this, intentions are immaterial." Natasha interrupted calmly. Pepper refused to even look at him, entirely ignoring his existence.

"This is all your doing." Thor said, damning.

"What kind of hero kills his friend?" Clint asked conversationally.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist…murderer. Forgot to add that did you?" Captain America said, before joining the hero's arrayed against him, his figure unapproachable, imposing, and somehow more solid than Tony has ever been.

"You haven't changed at all have you?" A soft voice whispered sadly. Beside him in the corner Yinsen shook his head disappointedly, his face a sheet of blood beneath his broken glasses.

"Yinsen?" Tony asked. Yinsen smiled his small knowing smile but was unforgiving. "I tried." Tony begged them all desperately. A stern male voice echoed cruelly out of the darkness behind him.

"Children try! Are you a man or a child?!" Tony recoiled and then heard Bruce calling for his blood.

"Tony? Tony!" Bruce called. Tony waited for Bruce to turn into Hulk and finally end it all.

"I'm sorr-" Tony started before feeling a hand on his shoulder shaking him. He lifted his head up, before blinking his eyes open. Bright florescent light stabbed deeply into his corneas, as he reoriented himself. Bruce's face swam before him, his contours scrunched up in concern. He held a vendor cup of coffee in the hand not resting on his shoulder. Tony stared blankly up at him for a moment before abruptly hauling off and slapping himself in the face, hard enough to snap his head round to the side, darkening the already bruised portion of his face. Bruce flinched backwards still holding the Styrofoam cup of coffee, which he managed not to spill.

"What are you doing!?" Bruce shouted, his eyes still their usual brown. Tony rubbed at his cheek gingerly.

"Just making sure I'm awake." Tony muttered. Bruce heaved a sigh and moved to sit beside him on the bench.

"Trust you to be overdramatic... You could have pinched yourself, you know? Are you awake then?" Bruce asked.

"Seems like." Tony said ruefully, still feeling at his cheek. Bruce adjusted his glasses before handing over the coffee cup.

"Here this is for you." Bruce said. Tony grabbed at the cup gleefully.

"Bruce, you are a god!" Tony exclaimed.

"I think Thor already fills that position in our little club." Bruce said. Stark chugged the drink in one long gulp and finished with a sigh.

"Nope, its definitely you Brucie. The Java God. All Hail the Java God. All Hail!" Tony intoned.

"Tony, are you sure you're all right? You look…?" Bruce asked. Tony's face was haggard, his eyes and face were bruised and tired, and his hair was still mussed from wearing his helmet. Tony ignored the questions in favor of his own more pressing one that he had wanted to avoid asking at all cost. His nightmare was fresh in his mind.

"Is Happy…did he make…?" He began hesitantly. Bruce's lips turned up in a half smile.

"He's out of immediate danger and is currently resting in the ICU." Bruce said.

"He's really alright." Tony said. It wasn't really a question, but Bruce answered anyway.

"Baring any further complications, he should be fine, though you won't be able to see him anytime soon." Banner said. Tony nodded.

"And Pepper?" Tony asked. Bruce looked down at the white tile floor.

"She's awake and asking for you." Tony thanked Bruce and went to find a nurse to take him to Pepper's room.

Pepper Potts lay on a bed in her private room. She looked wan, pale, and worried. She wore a pale blue paper hospital gown as if Michael Kor had designed it solely for her use. She brightened perceptively when she saw Tony enter and raised her bed to a seated position. "Hey Pep. How are you feeling?" Tony asked, sitting in a chair placed beside her bed. He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together between his knees.

"W-water?" Pepper asked, her voice dry and reedy. Tony quickly grabbed up the cup of ice chips sat on the table beside her bed and gave her some. After sucking on the ice for a few minutes, Pepper's voice returned almost to its normal timbre.

"Tony, what happened, where's Happy, what happened to Maya? No one has told me anything yet." Pepper said in an aggravated tone. Tony frowned.

"Maya…Hansen? What has she got to do with anything?" Tony asked.

"She's the one who abducted us." Pepper said with a fierce expression on her face. Tony puffed out a startled breath.

"She's alive? Oh, she was on extremis, wasn't she? Hmmm, should have thought of that. I never even looked for her body after that whole mess with Killian. The Avengers and I saw no sign of her when we stormed the AIM base, she must have fled." Tony said.

"And what about Happy, where is he?" Pepper asked, her eyes searching his face. Tony's frown grew more pronounced making the years that had dropped off his face over the past months, suddenly return with interest.

"He…he got shot, but he's alright, stable." Tony swiftly reassured her. "He saved your life Pep." Pepper Potts had known Tony Stark for a long time and she could hear his thoughts as if he had spoken them out loud. _He saved you when I couldn't. You almost died because of me. And so did he._

"This wasn't your fault. You did everything you could." Pepper said.

"I know." Tony said, his head bowed. _But it wasn't enough, was it? It never is. _Pepper winced her eyes closed in sympathetic pain.

"Oh...Tony." She said. Tony picked up an ice chip for himself and began chewing it loudly.

"JARVIS has been trawling through the dregs left behind on AIM's servers. It appears that you were taken because of the Extremis virus in your blood. And now that I know Maya was behind this, that makes even more sense, she must have wanted a cure for herself." Tony said thoughtfully. Pepper's soulful eyes looked into the distance before swinging back to Tony's own.

"She did and at any cost. The woman's gone completely insane. Does the virus do that, or is it just that people can't handle having that kind of power. Am I going to go mad? Is that what will happen to me Tony?" Pepper asked, her eyes tearing. Tony smiled as gently as he knew how and placed a hand on top her small one.

"No Pep never, you're one of the sanest people I know." Tony said. Pepper's expression turned wryly.

"For some reason, coming from you, that isn't all that reassuring." Pepper said. Tony shrugged helplessly.

"I didn't say _I_ was sane." Tony said. Pepper began giggling and put a hand to her mouth to stifle herself.

"You always know just the right things to say. But Tony, I feel it, the Extremis, its been reactivated hasn't it?" Pepper asked. Tony looked away guiltily.

"I'm not going to lie to you Pep, it has." Tony said.

"But you can fix it again." Pepper said. Tony shook his head sadly, his hands folded beneath his chin as he considered her.

"It's not that simple Pepper, your body has already become accustomed to the revived virus, and what AIM, Maya has done has made the previous modifications useless. You know that I can't remove Extremis. I was only able to neutralize it. But I swear to you Pep, I will fix this." Tony said, a determined cast to his features. Pepper looked away from his expression.

"I'm sorry Tony." She whispered.

"Sorry? You've nothing to be sorry for." He replied gruffly. Pepper twisted her fingers in her lap.

"I've never wanted to be a burden to you." She said softly. Tony snorted.

"Ms. Potts, a burden? Stop the presses, I've changed my mind, you have gone mad, off to the loony bin with you." Tony said.

"I'm serious Tony." Pepper snapped, her eyes and skin burning with sudden heat.

"So am I. You could never be a burden Pepper. I'm the one always dragging you down. You became infected with Extremis because of me, you were kidnapped because of me, and you were almost fucking _killed_ because of me. I'm _your_ burden." Tony said, his face twisted. Pepper broke out into a sudden laugh. Tony looked at her in surprise.

"You know for all your vaulted genius, sometimes you are a complete idiot Tony Stark." Pepper said between her laughter.

"What?" Tony asked, completely befuddled. Pepper held out her fingers and tapped them one at a time.

"I am the CEO of a top Fortune 500 Company because of you, I've had the best years of my life because of you, I've made a real difference in the world because of you, you've saved my life multiple times including saving the entire world from invasion by the way, and I've also met the greatest love of my life all because of you." Pepper said. Tony stared.

"Oh. Am I..?" Tony began haltingly.

"Yes you! You were the greatest love of my life Mr. Stark and don't you dare make me repeat myself!" Pepper threatened. Tony lifted his hands in concession.

"Wouldn't dare face your wrath Pep, even when you're wearing nothing but a glorified bed sheet, or maybe especially when you're wearing nothing but a glorified bed sheet." Tony snarked. A plump nurse knocked politely, before entering, baring a tray in her arms.

"Here dear I've brought some soup for your dinner. Would you like anything Mr. Stark?" The nurse asked kindly. Tony's face suddenly looked sickened at the smell of minestrone suffusing the air.

"No thank you." Tony said stiffly. The nurse looked miffed at his rude tone for a moment before leaving the room.

"Tony?" Pepper asked, worried about his change of mood. Tony scrounged up a smile for her.

"I'll leave you to your supper, alright?" Tony said, getting up to leave.

"Sure." Pepper said in a subdued voice.

"Just get some rest and I'll be here when you wake up." Tony assured her before he left.

Tony stood out in the courtyard of Knickerbocker Hospital and studied two ravens sitting in the single tree standing tall in the middle of the cement. Tony counted his breaths as he deeply inhaled and exhaled trying to calm himself. The ravens turned their heads in tandem to study him in return with their beady black eyes. "Man of Iron, my friend, I spied you from the window above! How are our companions? Have the healers finished their work?" Thor hailed him as he strode into the courtyard. Tony took one final deep breath before turning to face him.

"Hey Thor, not as of yet. Pepper is someone only I can heal, and Happy… He's a strong guy, I'm sure he'll recover." Tony said, trying to reassure himself. Thor nodded happily.

"Yes, I could tell upon meeting them that your boon companions have much spirit to them. They are fighters!" Thor announced while raising a fist.

"They shouldn't have to be!" Tony abruptly snapped. Tony turned away from the god to face the oak again.

"Anthony?" Tony flinched at the appellation. Thor noticed and said. "Apologies, Tony." Tony waved it off.

"Sorry." Tony said. Thor stood next to Stark in silence for a moment.

"Your friends make their own choices, you cannot make them for them, nor should you." Thor said quietly, or at least quietly for him. Tony looked aside at him.

"Is this some godly wisdom then?" Tony queried. Thor shook his head self-deprecatingly.

"No, I've rarely had wisdom, consider it knowledge that I acquired too late." Thor said glumly. Tony looked over at the larger man.

"Your brother?" He asked neutrally. Thor nodded once.

"Indeed. I made many mistakes with him, I wanted to control him, force him to see things and do things my way. I was a fool. And both he and I have suffered for my foolishness. I would not wish the same to happen to you." Thor said. Tony snorted to himself.

"Pepper is right, I am a moron in so many damn ways. Thank you Thor, for your help in rescuing them and for everything else." Tony said. Thor slapped him on the back causing him to move several steps forward.

"Think nothing of it friend Tony. You gave my lady Jane and I a new home and a new family. Do not think that I will ever forget that debt nor cease attempting to repay it." Thor said, gripping his arm companionably. Tony said nothing, touched beyond words.


End file.
